A New Life
by Lindsey3
Summary: When Vane is given a second chance at life with an unexpected person, will he take a chance at love again?
1. Chapter 1

AN: I own nothing but my own characters. If you enjoy, please leave a review!

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Charlotte Kingswood quietly tiptoed down the servants' stairwell even though it was pitch black and two in the morning. She was dressed in her tan breeches, men's style green shirt and knee high brown leather riding boots that fit her feet like gloves so there was no swishing of ladies' skirts to make any noise. She needed to leave the house without a soul knowing as it was a matter of life or death and no matter how much the servants of the house loved her they would still be obligated to tell her father and then she would never make it out alive.

Charlotte made it all the way to the stable to retrieve her buckskin horse Hector without incident and soon had him saddled and flying down the dirt road towards the harbor. If she could just make it on to a ship heading anywhere she just might live to see another day. She pushed Hector fast and hard as though the hounds of hell were just behind her. Hector covered the five miles to the harbor in record time and Charlotte patted his shoulder as the came to a stop in front of the small shop building that stood on the shore.

She dismounted and quickly ran up to the wooden door knocking loudly hoping that the gruff port boss would hear. Angus was a sound sleeper and so were his two sons Ian and Douglas. Someone must have heard her because a candle was lit inside and a gruff "Comin'!", was shouted at her. The door was flung open by Ian and he stood there, dark hair ruffled and sticking up off his head from sleep, with a stunned look on his face. "What 'n the 'ell are ya doing here Char?" he asked scrubbing his eyes. When they were younger she and Ian had briefly had a fling or rather thought about it, but after sharing their first kiss they both knew that they were more family than lovers and had been close ever since.

So it surprised Ian, but not really, when she flung herself in his arms hugging him tight. What did make him panic a little was when she whispered in his ear, "You have to get me out of here. He will kill me for sure." Ian abruptly pushed her back to look at her, "What are ya talkin' about? Who will kill you?"

By now, Douglas and Angus had joined them and Ian pulled Charlotte inside the small front room of the store and tried to sit her down on a barrel, but she immediately popped up and began pacing. "Anderson. Lucian Anderson. Papa has made it final tonight. Mr. Anderson came to dinner tonight and they signed the papers. He has sold me and I won't last a fortnight after the wedding," Charlotte said this as she paced, wringing her hands, so she missed the black looks that passed between the men. They had heard about Mr. Anderson from Charlotte and from other sources once they knew his intentions toward her.

The rumors were brutal and they had sworn to protect the girl who was like family, no matter what. Charlotte had grown up with the MacLaren's on the dock more so than she had up in the Duke's mansion. Her father, the Duke of Sommerfield, had not cared for the only child his French wife had born him before she died and so he had all but ignored her until she had come of age to be profitable. Thanks to her nursemaid she had been taught all the social graces of a lady and could pass in society just fine, but her real life had been down on the docks with Ian and Douglas learning the ins and outs of ships and the docks.

Angus immediately sprang in to action to protect his adopted daughter, "There is a ship heading for Port Royal in just a few hours. Port Royal isn't exactly civilized, but you stand a better chance there than with him. Ian, gather your things, you'll take her." Ian didn't hesitate, immediately leaving the room while Charlotte began to protest, "Ian can stay. All I need is a ship taking me away. I can fend for myself." But her protests fell on deaf ears as Angus and Douglas were already following Ian discussing what they would need. One thing that was agreed upon by everyone was that Charlotte would travel a lot safer as a boy than a twenty-four-year-old woman.

So, a quick tight braid of her brown hair was shoved up under a cap that was pulled down tight over her ears and a length of cloth was handed to her to bind her breasts down as tight as she could. A small bump still showed, but with her shirt being loose fitting they didn't think it would be noticeable to anyone who didn't already know she was female. A short half hour later the group of four headed down the dock towards the ship named the Saint to wake up the captain. Once he got over being woken up early, the captain seemed agreeable enough at taking on two unexpected passengers, especially once being assured that they could pull their own weight.

Ian and Charlotte had both been on enough ships, Ian more than Charlotte, that they could pick up any odd jobs that the Captain might give them.

Once their positions were secure with the Captain, Charlotte quickly hugged Angus and Douglas, "Thank you, I can't tell you how much you both mean to me." Angus hugged her hard before releasing her once more, "Anything darlin'. You are the daughter I never had." Charlotte began to tear up at the sentiment, but Angus gruffly told her to stop. Shaking herself she looked over at Ian and they both walked to find the mess deck where they could put their meager belongings.

/

A few weeks later, Ian and Charlotte had found their groove among the other sailors with Charlotte working in the galley and Ian working on the boatswains' crew in the rigging. The day began like any other for Charlotte by rising before daybreak to get breakfast ready for the crew. As she came into the galley, the cook was already stoking the fire in the stove to prepare the Captain's breakfast. Charlotte, or Charlie as Ian had taken to calling her, began opening the containers that contained the hard tack and filled a pot with water to begin boiling for gruel. Because they had been at sea for a few weeks, the fresh food supply was running low, but the cook guessed that they would be arriving in Port Royal by the end of the week.

Suddenly, the ship rolled hard to the right causing Charlie and the cook to take a few hard steps backwards. The cook looked at Charlie and ordered, "Go up and see what that was about!", but before she could move the ship rolled hard left, knocking the container of hard tack to the floor. Charlie quickly righted herself and took off up the stairs to get to the deck. Once she made it up, she saw the crew scrambling to tie up the sails and secure the deck.

The wind was whipping fiercely and Charlie held on to her hat tightly as she scanned the horizon. A black wall was off to their starboard side and the water was chopping furiously, gaining height with each gust of wind. She quickly went back below to warn the cook of the impending storm so that they could secure the galley. An hour later, Charlie sat huddled in her hammock on the mess deck with the other sailors who were not needed on deck. Everything had been secured and there was nothing else to do but ride out the storm and Charlotte hated every minute. She hated feeling helpless and especially with Ian still up above.

After what seemed like hours later, the storm finally abated and the sailors that had been forced below spilled out on to the deck to discover the damage. Charlie was one of the first ones up and she quickly looked for Ian. Her close relationship with Ian had been joked about by the other sailors at first until they had told them they were brothers, but there were still some that gave them odd looks. Ian strode up to her looking a little worse for the wear, but grinning all the same. "Well it could have been worse, but some of the rigging has broken off and we'll have to limp in to the nearest port for the parts to fix them," he said as he stopped close to her, surveying the masts. Charlie followed his gaze up and saw some of the ropes swinging free, "Where is the nearest port?" When he didn't answer immediately, Charlie looked over, "What? What's wrong?" Ian looked at her for a moment, "Nassau," was all he said.

Charlie knew she should be terrified of the notorious pirate haven, but somehow, she just wasn't. She had been subjected to the gossip papers of London herself and knew the embellishment that was allowed to be fact and so she didn't think that Nassau was as bad as they said, but the look on Ian's face gave her pause. "It can't be as bad as all that, Ian," she said trying to reassure him. All she got in response was, "Stay close when we dock and do not leave the beach for any reason." Then he was gone to help the crew clean up the mess of the storm, leaving Charlotte to consider the dangers she now faced.

When the Saint docked in Nassau Port, Charlotte noticed the immediate presence of the Royal Navy. She had read in the paper that England was sending a new governor to try and civilize the island, but no new reports had been given in weeks. Seeing the evidence before her eyes she was a little disappointed to see the island had been conquered. She was standing by Ian when the ship settled in to place, "I don't think you need to worry. England has even made it as far as here." Ian grunted as a response and shook his head, "Soldiers can be just as bad as pirates. Don't wander."

His warning irritated her, but at the same time she understood it as well. She followed Ian off the ship to the beach when a sailor approached calling to her, "Charlie! Hey, Charlie!" Ian and she both stopped as the sailor reached them, "Cookie wants you to help him carry food back to the ship. He said to meet him at the market." The sailor took off before either of them could respond. Charlie looked at Ian, "Well I guess I'll go find the market." As she began to walk off Ian grabbed her arm, "Char, be careful. Don't talk to anyone and watch your back." The raw concern on his face made Charlotte answer nicely, "Of course Ian. I promise." If she had only known that trouble was going to find her.

Charlie wandered the main path of the island trying to discover where the market place was without asking anyone. After half an hour with no luck she decided it was safer to ask someone than to keep wandering. She approached a soldier, "Excuse me sir, I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the market?" The soldier wasn't much taller than herself, but he still seemed to sneer down his nose at her, "It's just that way, but it'll be closed for the hanging." Charlotte's eyes widened a little, "A hanging?" The soldier spit close to her feet and growled, "Pirate Captain Vane, now move on!" Charlie stumbled a little in her hurry to get away. After walking a little she stopped in the shade of a building thinking she would be safely out of the way, that was until she heard the whispers behind her in the dark. "If we can sway the crowd in our favor we might be able to get him down before he strangles to death." "Yes, but if not, he'll die anyway and then we'll be in the middle of the English with no way out." Charlie was just about to step away quietly when hands grabbed her from both sides pulling her into darkness.

/

When her eyes adjusted to the light she saw that she was in a group of four men, two holding her still with a third right in front of her and a fourth behind him. Charlie was too afraid to speak and had to focus on regaining her breath while the man in front of her demanded, "Who are you and why were you eavesdropping!?" Charlie tried to gather up her courage, "I wasn't eavesdropping I swear!" The man grabbed her by the throat and moved in closer, "The hell you weren't! What did you hear!" The direct threat made Charlotte's spine straighten and she gritted her teeth, "I wasn't. I merely picked the wrong doorway to rest in. I'm from the ship that just docked and I was looking for the market." The man let her go and nodded for the other two as well. Once she was back on her own feet, she straightened her clothes making sure her hat was still secure about her ears and looked up at the man in front of her who seemed to have grown another foot.

"It's closed so everyone can watch a murder," he ground out. "I heard that Captain Vane was to be hung from a soldier," she replied watching him closely. She saw his back stiffen, "Murdered not hung." The way he said it made Charlotte ask, "Why do you say that?" The man squared his shoulders, "Because there was no trial and the governor isn't the one presiding over the hanging. That bitch Guthrie is and she's hanging Vane out of spite." Charlotte furrowed her brow, "Guthrie? You mean Eleanor Guthrie? I thought she was in London set to be hanged herself?"

"She made a bargain with the devil," the tall man said, "just so she could ruin us." Charlotte didn't understand what he meant, but she didn't agree with someone being hanged with no trial or official judge.

"At the risk of my own life, it sounded like you were going to try and stop it. What's your plan?", she asked taking a deep breath. She didn't know what prompted her to ask or why she suddenly felt she should volunteer, but the way the man spoke awoke her inner defiance. The man looked her square in the eye, "Are you offering your help?" Charlotte took a deep breath, "I am. I heard you say you might not reach the rope fast enough. I can." A man on the left scoffed, "And how do you plan to do that?" Charlotte glanced at him, but then locked eyes with the leader, "If you have a rifle, I can cut him down without ever having to get close." Now the leader's eyes raised, "You think you are that good?" Charlotte smiled then, "I know I am. I've done it before. Well, not with a man's life in the balance, but still, cutting the rope won't take me more than two shots. If you can provide me with two rifles and a couple of pistols to fight my way out, I can get him down." They all looked at her for a moment until the leader stuck out his hand, "I'm Billy Bones and welcome to our crew." Charlie smiled, "Charlie MacLaren."

/

Charlotte had a brief moment where she wondered what the hell she was doing as the men handed her the weapons she requested, but as she began the familiar routine of checking them over and loading them she calmed and settled into the new role she had inadvertently chosen for herself. She only regretted having drug Ian in on the scheme. She had told the men about Ian and they had agreed to find him and inform him about what was happening. Ian was glaring at her now from across the room.

Billy began explaining to her the set-up so she would know which roof to climb up on. Once the plan was confirmed she strapped the pistols across her chest and shouldered the rifles. She left first so that Ian wouldn't have a chance to talk to her alone. It was cowardly she knew, but she also didn't want to be talked out of the wild scheme. She hadn't known what she would do in Port Royal once she was out of the reach of Lucian, but helping someone fight for their own justice seemed like the right thing to do. As she approached the building she would need to scale, a pair of roaming guards approached. Knowing confidence was key, she kept walking with a purpose. "Hey, you! Boy!", they called out as she approached. Stopping in front of them she asked, "Yes, sirs?"

"What are you doing with the guns?", one of them asked her, looking her over. Charlotte bowed her head a little in difference, "To my master sir, they are to be repaired for the garrison, sir." She prayed the excuse worked and held her breath in anticipation. She felt the eyes of the other pirates on her back and knew that they were waiting for her betrayal. "On with you then," was all the reply she got as they continued past her. She dared not look back as she slowly began walking again. Once a few moments had passed, she glanced back to see where they had gone and found that they were already a considerable distance. She quickly darted to the left to the trellis she would need to climb and began the assent.

Once she climbed the two-story building, she belly crawled across the roof and said a quick "Thank you Lord" that there was a piece of the wall that had crumbled leaving her a perfect shot of the gallows. Once she was in place with the tip of her barrel resting on the wall she noticed Billy and the others skirting the crowd and nodded to them. With a quick nod back, they began infiltrating the crowd, whispering to those that would listen.

Not long after, a cart with the prisoner in the back came rolling into the courtyard at the same time a woman surrounded my guards stepped out on a terrace across from Charlie.

Charlie took no notice of the woman, but instead focused on the rope that was being secured around the man's neck. Charlie observed the lack of wind and was thankful that the rope was not moving much which would make the difficult shot easier. When she told the men that she had done this before, she had meant in the forest behind her home with perfectly still conditions with shade and a rock weighing down the rope. The tightness of the rope helped sever the fibers so she was still trying to decide whether to shoot this rope before or after the man dropped. She would be able to sever it faster if he was already hanging, however that cut her time down and also meant the rope would be swaying.

Before she could decide, Vane spoke, "Get on with it, motherfucker." Because she was already aimed and ready, the abrupt drop didn't make her miss her shot. As soon as the captain hit the end of the rope her first shot found its mark, cutting the rope but not completely severing it. Calmly, but quickly picking up her second rifle, Charlotte took aim again this time having to wait for the rope to swing back into place. Her second shot finished the job and Captain Vane slammed into the dirt. Once her job was accomplished she noticed everything else that was happening in the courtyard.

The woman with her guards had fled inside, the mob below was in complete tumult with each other and the soldiers and Billy was making his way towards the downed captain who was struggling to his feet. Charlotte also saw the soldiers taking aim at her right before the dust from a missed shot flew in her face.

Rolling away from the opening and pulling out a pistol, she hopped up into a crouch position and began leaping across rooftops. Unfortunately, soldiers were following quickly below frequently taking shots at her. Her luck held as she came to the last rooftop and jumped out to catch a tree branch and swing down to the ground. She lost the soldiers around the next corner and quickly continued to the route that Billy had told her about. Sticking to the hidden path she ran for a few miles or rather fast walked before she came to a house.

Ian was waiting for her on the front porch and quickly grabbed her into a bear hug. She relaxed into him as the adrenaline slowly receded and left her shaking. "Are you hurt?", she heard him mumble into her hat. She shook her head in answer as she took a deep breath to gather herself, "No, I'm fine." Pulling back, she asked, "Did they make it back?" Ian shook his head, "Not yet, but they had to fight their way out of the center of it all. Might be a while."

As he said this, the other men at the house began running down the road towards someone approaching. She recognized Billy first and then Captain Vane close behind with a few others trailing. It looked as if most had made it back and Charlotte took another deep breath of relief. Ian suddenly spoke, "You know we will need to talk about what you have gotten us into." Charlotte looked up at him, "Ian, I am sorry I have pulled you into this. You have done what I needed and gotten me out of England. Please go back home. I'll be fine." He looked at her incredulously, "And leave you here in the middle of a pirate war? You have to be out of your damned mind."

Before they could continue their argument, Billy and Vane approached. "This is the crack shot that cut the rope," Billy told Vane smiling, "That was a hell of a shot by the way." Charlotte started to smile back when Vane cut in, "You should have let me die." He said this as he pushed passed her into the house. Billy shook his head at Vane's retreating back, "Don't listen to him. He's worth more alive than dead. He's just trying to wrap his head around being alive when he was ready to die." Charlotte nodded, but didn't really understand. How could someone not be grateful for being alive?

Billy followed Vane into the house along with some of the other men and Charlotte and Ian soon followed. Billy was talking to a man who appeared to be his second in command while Captain Vane was sitting in a corner of the room looking for all the world pissed off. Billy was discussing ways to contact a man called Captain Flint to get them all off the island. Since Charlotte and Ian couldn't do much to help, they took an empty corner of the room and waited for instruction. As they sat waiting, Charlotte kept trying to convince Ian to leave her and head back home while he flat out refused to even think about such a thing. Neither noticed that Captain Vane was watching them closely from beneath hooded eyes.

/

A week passed at the hideaway with no incidents or discoveries and a message was received from Flint that he would pick them up on the far side of the island in two days' time. During the week at the hideaway, Vane tried to gain more information about the two new recruits Billy had taken on. So far, all he knew was that they arrived on a ship called the Saint the day he was to be hung and immediately took up the cause.

Vane found this extremely suspicious, but since he could uncover nothing else he set about watching the two closely. He could tell that they were not brothers even though that was their story. They touched too frequently and too gently to be brothers. Lovers perhaps? It wasn't unusual, take Flint for example, but that didn't seem to fit either. Vane was determined to find out what they were hiding, because he didn't want another person's lies endangering what he was willing to give his life for. If they were here as spies he vowed to discover it.

The morning they were to meet Flint, they all woke early before dawn and quietly set out in groups of four so that they would go unnoticed. Ian, Charlotte, Vane and Billy were the first group and arrived on the beach without incident. The rest of the men followed over the course of an hour and when they were all on the beach, the Walrus was spotted. Within another hour they were all onboard and sailing away from Nassau. According to Billy, they were heading to an island occupied by runaway slaves.

As soon as they were sailing, the man called Captain Flint ordered a meeting with Billy, Vane, and another man who was missing a leg named Silver. Ian and Charlotte began to make their way to the mess deck with the others and to wait for instructions.

/

Thanks everyone! Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Deception

AN: Thank you to all my readers. I hope you continue to enjoy my story!

/

The Walrus was a much larger ship than the Saint had been and with a lot more men, most of which were rougher looking as well. The pirates aboard the ship eyed the new comers with distrust and not just Charlotte and Ian, but some of the others in their group also. Billy's recruits stayed to themselves as they tried to find empty hammocks on the mess deck. Seeing that there wasn't going to be enough hammocks for everyone, Ian and Charlotte found a corner of the room in which they would be able to sleep. They had left all their belongings on the Saint and only had the clothes on their backs with them.

Not having any reason to stay below, the two along with some others, went out on to the deck to take a look around. Ian, Charlotte and two of the men from Billy's rescue team found a place out of the way and watched the crew of the Walrus work while they discussed the possibilities of what might happen next. Charlotte and Ian were able to get a little more information about what had been happening in Nassau the past year, from the Urca treasure hunt, to the arrival of the governor, the arrest of Eleanor Guthrie, her return from prison and the war being fought in the name of freedom.

Charlotte was not naïve and knew that pirate robbed good people to keep their lifestyle going and even murdered those people. However, having been with these men for over a week, she was able to see the other side to these men. Of course, that didn't mean she thought they were cuddly, soft children's toys, but if you were honest and loyal to them then they mostly were to you as well. Charlotte didn't need nice, she had grown up in a house of not nice, but she did appreciate honesty and loyalty which was why it was beginning to bug her that she was deceiving the crew.

It was a few hours before Captain's Flint and Vane along with Silver and Billy emerged from the Captain's quarters. Billy spotted his crew and approached them with the rest of his group following. Billy introduced his second-in-command explaining to Flint and Silver their recruiting process, "And this is the boy who shot the rope," he finished as he pointed to Charlotte. Charlotte ducked her head towards Captain Flint, "Cap'n", she said.

It seemed like a long time before Flint said, "I heard it was an impressive shot. You look a little young to be that good. How old are you boy?" Charlotte could hear Ian hold his breath at the question. She knew she would be confronted about her appearance at some point and she hoped she could pass inspection. "I am thirteen sir, but I practice shooting every day. I enjoy it sir," she explained. She prayed that they would believe the explanation and would think that she was just a natural at shooting. After a few moments waiting with baited breath Flint responded, "Well it appears that practice wasn't in vain. Welcome aboard the Walrus."

Charlotte let her shoulders sag a bit in relief, not knowing that Vane noticed, and said, "Thank you Captain Flint." Billy, Flint and Silver began talking about what they needed to do once they arrived on the island and Charlotte raised her head to continue looking around the ship when her eyes locked with Captain Vane's. He was leaning against the railing of the ship with his arms crossed and one leg across the other. He appeared to be relaxed, but Charlotte could tell he was anything but relaxed. His eyes held hers with an intensity that initially made her want to look away, but instead held hers captive. She was only able to look away when Ian elbowed her in the side.

"Ow! What?", she asked rubbing her side. Ian looked at her gravely, "If you don't want to be discovered you should probably stop staring." His warning came out in a low hiss and Charlotte felt herself blush, "I wasn't…", she began, but Ian shook his head letting her know that her protest wasn't believed. Charlotte ducked her head, Ian was right, the last thing she needed to do was draw attention to herself.

For the next few days, Charlotte did her best to stay out of the way and out of notice. Everything was going well and they were almost to the island when her plan to continue to go unnoticed was obliterated by a storm. The storm had blown in fast and so all hands were on deck in the downpour trying to secure everything they could. Charlotte had just grabbed a coil of rope and was on her way to take it below when she heard something every sailor fears, "Man Overboard, Port Side!" Because that was the way she was facing, Charlotte tried to shield her eyes from the driving rain to see who the unfortunate victim was and just spotted Silver as his head went under a huge wave.

Charlotte didn't even hesitate. Dropping the rope she had, she secured one end around her waist and quickly ran to the railing securing the other end. She scanned the deck, found Ian and screamed his name so that he would hear her. As she was kicking off her boots, Ian noticed her with a look of horror on his face, but before he could say anything she dove over the side.

Charlotte had almost drowned when she was six in the harbor and Ian had been the one to pull her out. After that incident, Angus had insisted on her learning how to swim and in the interest of not drowning, Charlotte had dedicated herself to the lessons. Even so, it took her a lot longer to surface than she imagined it would and she was gasping for air as soon as she popped up. The bindings around her chest were suffocating her so she reached for the knife at her waist and cut the bindings free. Her being a woman wouldn't matter if she didn't survive. The waves had carried her far beyond the ship and she knew she wouldn't make it back if someone didn't pull her in, but she focused on finding Silver.

It took her more than a minute to locate him. He was just beginning to sink below the water when she grabbed him around the waist and began kicking to the surface. He didn't gasp for breath when they came up and she prayed that it wasn't too late. As soon as Ian saw them, he, Billy and a few others from the crew began pulling them in to the ship. A crewman had gone to get Flint from his cabin and he and Vane were just getting to the side when the two were hauled over into the ship. Flint immediately began shouting at Billy over the storm, "What the hell happened?" As Billy replied, Charlotte rolled from her front where she had been coughing up water, to her back as she breathed heavily, sucking in much needed air. Ian had already begun blowing air into Silver's lungs, so Charlotte pushed herself up and then pushed both hands onto Silver's stomach.

After just a few tries Silver began coughing up water and Ian rolled him onto his side. Charlotte rolled back to the deck, muscles shaking, completely spent. That's when she noticed every man in her immediate vision watching her, including Flint, Billy and Vane. Charlotte knew they were staring at her hair that was spread across the deck not to mention her wet shirt clinging to her unbound breasts. There was no hiding who she was now and Flint demanded an explanation, "I think you need to start talking."

Charlotte had every intention on explaining, but before she could open her mouth exhaustion and adrenaline took its toll and she passed out cold. Flint shook his head, "Somebody pick them both up and take them to my cabin." Because he was already standing over her, Vane bent down to take the woman in his arms. After more than a week of trying to find out what she was hiding it was now abundantly clear and Vane was even more aware with her pressed against him. She wasn't a delicate little thing like her baggy clothes had made her look. He was well aware of the rounded curve of her hips and the softness of her breasts pressed against his chest. Vane shook himself trying to rid his head of stupid thoughts. He had almost been hung by his last lover and this woman had already started out lying to him. What kind of fool would he be to repeat the same mistake twice.

In the few moments Vane had been holding Charlotte, Ian had been watching him closely. He had seen Vane watching her the past week and had been worried the pirate captain would find out Charlotte was a woman. Now that her secret was exposed Ian was terrified that Vane would do more than just watch her. As Ian lifted Silver off the deck, he and Vane locked eyes. Vane smirked, "You can stop glaring at me. I won't hurt her." Ian's stare didn't change, "I'll make sure of that Captain." Vane didn't reply and instead he started towards Flint's quarters.

After laying Charlotte down on the bed, Vane took a seat by the window across the room. Ian brought in Silver and laid him on the cushioned window seat as the ships surgeon came in to examine him. Flint was the first to speak as he pointed his finger at Ian, "You are going to tell me exactly what the hell is going on, now." Ian clenched his jaw wondering how much to tell the Captain. Flint wasn't in the mood for delays, "Now! Who the hell are you?"

I

an spoke, "My name is Ian MacLaren. That much is true. The woman is my adopted sister Charlotte." When Vane heard this, he nodded his head slightly, finally understanding why the two's relationship was so different. Ian continued, "We left England to try and find something better."

"Ian tell them everything," the raspy, faint voice from the bed startled everyone. Charles watched as Charlotte sat up wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. Billy spoke up from his post by the door, "What do you mean?" Ian shook his head at Charlotte, but she waved away his protest and moved to get up. When she tried to stand, her legs buckled under her but she was able to catch herself on the bed and stayed there. Vane reluctantly admired her strength and was a little shocked at Flint's impatience when he shouted again, "Someone had better start a real explanation!"

Charlotte took a deep breath and began, "My name is Charlotte Kingswood. My father is Stephen Kingswood, Duke of Sommerfield." At this, Vane sat up straighter wondering why in the hell a Duke's daughter wanted to be a pirate. Flint obviously wanted to know to because he said, "Jesus Christ, you're a lady of the realm! What in fuck's sake are you doing out here?" Charlotte didn't avert her eyes or cower like most women would in the face of Flint's anger. She straightened her spine and clinched her jaw, "I'm saving my life," she ground out.

The room waited for more while her protector Ian shook his head pleading. Charlotte spoke again, "Ian we have to trust someone and I want them to trust us. Ian isn't my legal adopted brother, but we did grow up together and consider each other family. My father was never interested in me after my mother died without giving him a son twenty years ago. However, this past year when my father's creditors began beating down our door he began looking to sell me to someone that could get him out of debt. He found that man in Lucien Anderson."

Here, Charlotte paused and Vane saw a bit of fear creep into her eyes. This was confirmed when Flint asked, "Lucien Anderson the founder and owner of Anderson Merchant Shipping out of South Carolina?" Charlotte nodded and Charles noticed her breath was a little shaky now, "The same. He's had three wives in as many years. The first was wealthy which was how he started his company, but she died due to complications in premature childbirth although it is said that the complications were from him beating her. His second was also rich, but her money was under her control unless she died which then went to him. She was found at the bottom of their main staircase with her neck snapped after only two months of marriage. His third wife had a little money, but she was beautiful and head strong. She corrected him during a dinner with his peers and the next day she was found behind the stables, beaten to death a month to the date of their wedding."

Charlotte paused a moment in the retelling and Vane watched a shudder run through her.

"When my father invited him to dinner I thought it might be a business meeting, however that night it became clear that I was the business. As I sat at the table I listened to them discuss how much I was worth." She scoffed and gave them a lopsided smirk, "It's a hundred thousand pounds by the way, to be delivered to my father two weeks after the wedding. I don't think that I will live that long. Lucien will kill me before he ever has to let go of that money." As Vane listened to the story, his disgust for her father grew exponentially. The English only thought they were civilized, but still traded and sold their offspring like cattle. Flint raised a question, "If your father is getting that kind of money, what is it that Anderson is getting besides you?"

Charlotte smiled, "A title. Lucian has a desire to be a peer of the realm and my father has sworn to have him at least knighted. They signed the contract that same night and I fled later that evening." Flint continued with a question, "What makes you so sure he will kill you? As unlikely as it is I admit, his first three wives truly could have been accidents." Charlotte nodded, "I was prepared for that explanation too and so when we were alone for a moment I asked him about the accidents. His slamming me back into the mantle gave me all the answer I needed." It was obvious to Vane that her protector hadn't heard that particular part of the story because the barrel-chested brute actually growled, "Why didn't you tell me that!"

Charlotte shook her head, "Because I wanted to leave England, not stay to watch you hang for murder. Besides, the wound is healed now." Ian didn't give her an opportunity to say anything else before he strode over and lifted her hair from her head. Every man in the room was curious too and they quickly joined Ian as they stared at the back of her head. The gash was only barely healed and was a good two inches across and looked as if it went to the bone.

They barely got a good look before she was growling at them, "Get off!" They all stepped back a few feet as she continued, "So I left that night after everyone was asleep. I fled to the docks and was lucky to catch a ship heading to Port Royal. A storm damaged the ship and threw us off course which was why we ended up in Nassau. When I heard what Billy was planning, even though it was crazy, I decided to help. I'd rather die fighting for someone's freedom than die for someone else's gain." Flint returned to his desk and sat down, Billy began pacing, while Vane and Ian remained on either side of her.

"I need to know that you aren't going to be hunted down. Does anyone back in England know where you are," Flint asked, leaning back in his chair. Charlotte nodded, "Two others. Ian's brother and father, but there isn't a chance in hell they would tell anyone where I went. No one should be hunting me out here." Flint looked both her and Ian over for a long moment before saying, "As far as I am concerned, you can be a part of my crew. You've proven yourselves to be assets despite the initial deception. You've saved two essential members of our resistance and you have my trust given that there are no more lies."

Charlotte smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, "No more deception. You know everything there is to know about me, but I do have a question. Will my being a woman pose any problems with your men?" Flint considered for a moment before answering, "I won't say that it won't be an issue, but I think that for the most part, especially after saving Mr. Silver that you should be accepted fairly easy. If there are any other issues let myself or Mr. Silver know so that they can be corrected immediately." She nodded knowing that the issues he meant were unwanted advances. Flint continued, "For the rest of tonight while this storm is here you can sleep here. Hopefully by morning you and Mr. Silver will have made full recoveries."

Thanking him, Charlotte relaxed back into the bed almost immediately falling asleep. She awoke sometime in the middle of the night feeling the ship softly swaying instead of violently rolling. It was then that she felt eyes on her and knew that it was Captain Vane. She could hear Ian snoring on the floor by her feet and so she spoke softly, "Is there something on your mind Captain?" She heard Vane shift in the chair by the desk, "Quiet or you'll wake your protector." His gravelly voice whispering in the darkness made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, but not from being scared. Smiling, Charlotte rolled on to her side to face Vane who was just a few feet from her, staring directly at her.

"Ian won't wake up unless you kick him soundly in the ass," she chuckled. She could have sworn she saw Vane's mouth tilt in a smile before he said, "Not much of a protector." Charlotte rolled onto her belly and propped herself up on her arms, her hair falling over one side of her face. Pushing it back over her shoulder she replied, "I've told him to go home countless times since arriving in Nassau, but he refuses." Vane stretched out his legs, "He's in love with you. Men do stupid things in that condition." Charlotte watched him closely as he said this and knew he had done something stupid himself. "I suppose it is in the eye of the beholder if the thing is stupid or not, but I can assure you Ian is not in love with me," she said. Vane sat up, leaning his arms on his knees in an aggressive posture, "And why would I care about your assurance?" Charlotte raised her eyebrows, "You are the one who brought up the subject. I only responded. Ian and I considered it once and after one kiss determined we were family not lovers."

Charles didn't know why he was pursuing this topic, but he could tell it made her uncomfortable and being an ass himself he continued to push her, "One kiss, and is that the only kiss you have to judge on? I'm sure it is." Charlotte didn't know why his barb hurt her, but before she could shut her mouth she popped off, "And if it is? What business is it of yours?" Vane slowly stood up out of the chair and the sheer controlled power that rolled off him had Charlotte mentally taking a step back. His steps toward the bed were soundless and Charlotte unconsciously rolled onto her back away from him. As he bent over her menacingly, his nose almost touching hers, Charlotte waited with bated breath at what he might do next and foolishly wished him closer. She was just noticing how his eyes were a cool grey in the moonlight when he whispered, almost against her lips, "You're right. You're none of my business." And then he was gone, leaving her alone and confused with her fear and arousal.

/

Thank you all again! Please leave a review!


	3. Desire

AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed my story! I am glad that you are enjoying it and I hope you continue!

/

The next day the Walrus arrived at the island and Charlotte was able to avoid any more contact with Captain Vane as the ship dropped anchor and began lowering the long boats. After he had left last night, she had been able to fall back to a restless sleep as it was full of dreams of someone stalking her. As she sat on deck waiting for her turn to load up she rubbed her eyes in exhaustion. Ian sat with her and asked, "Are you all right?" Charlotte nodded her head as a yawn overtook her, "Just tired is all. I didn't sleep well last night." When Ian asked why she told him only about the dreams. She didn't tell him about her odd conversation with Vane.

As they waited for their turn in a long boat, it began to get warm sitting in the sun on the deck, so Charlotte stood up to walk when Mr. Silver approached her. "I heard I owe you for pulling me back into the ship," he said. Charlotte nodded, "Think nothing of it. I couldn't leave you out there to drown Mr. Silver." He shook his head, "No, it was something I can't repay. If you ever need anything please let me know." Charlotte smiled, "It's a deal."

Ian stood up next to her, "I think it's our turn to head to shore." The three of them headed to the side and were soon on their way to the island. Once on shore they had a little way to hike before reaching the established community. As they walked, following the others in front of them, Charlotte admired the scenery. Brightly colored flowers lined the path mixed in with the deep green of the jungle and somewhere close a flock of birds called to each other. Charlotte smiled to herself thinking about how lucky she was to be here. She had escaped a marriage that would have ended in her murder, saved a man from hanging while escaping British regulars, then survived swimming in a tumultuous sea while saving another man, not to mention becoming a pirate. Even to herself, her adventures so far sounded unbelievable.

When they turned a corner into a clearing, the community came into view and Charlotte couldn't believe her eyes. There, in the middle of the dense jungle, was a well-built village teaming with life. The permanent residents eyed the newcomers warily as they were still not comfortable with pirates occupying their island. The pirates were split up into a few different groups and were directed to different buildings so that they would know where they could sleep.

Since they still didn't have any belongings, Ian and Charlotte decided to wander the village. In the dense vegetation, the heat soon began to feel suffocating and Charlotte began fanning her shirt out as they walked. Her shirt was stiff from the salt and her skin, where she wasn't sweating, felt gritty. Just as she was about to start thinking she was miserable, Mr. Silver appeared again, this time with another young woman. "Madi, I'd like you to meet the woman who pulled me out of the ocean," he said, gesturing to Charlotte. The woman smiled at Charlotte and Charlotte thought that she looked very kind.

"John told me about last night. He thought he was dead until he woke on the ship once more," Madi said as she laid her hand on Silver's arm, "You must be very brave." The woman's voice was kind also and Charlotte admired the soft accent as she spoke. "I don't know about brave," Charlotte said, "I just couldn't stand there doing nothing." Charlotte rubbed her forearm to stop an itch and Madi noticed the salt flaking off, "You must need a bath after that swim. I can take you if you like?"

Charlotte smiled, "Could you?" Madi laughed softly, "Of course. Would you like to grab a change of clothing?" Charlotte grimaced, "I'm afraid this is all I have. I had to leave my things as we were in a bit of a rush." Madi nodded, "While you bathe, I'll find you a change of clothing." Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief, "Would you? I can't tell you how much I would appreciate it." Charlotte turned to Ian, "I'll come and find you when I'm done." Ian nodded as she followed Madi back up the path.

A little outside the village there was a small hut and Charlotte walked in wondering how they got the water for a bath all the way out here. Her question was answered by the small clear pool in the center of the room. It wasn't much more than four feet long and four feet wide with a slight swirl in the crystal-clear water. Charlotte turned to Madi about to ask how the pool worked when Madi smiled and began explaining. "There is a spring that runs here so that the water in the pool is always new. When the founders of the village discovered this, they dug the pool deeper and built the hut over it for a natural bathing tub," Madi said this as Charlotte stared at the pool.

"I'll go find you some clothing while you bathe. There is soap sitting on that rock by the pool and I'll bring you a towel as well," Madi said as she turned to leave. Charlotte replied, "Thank you again," as Madi walked out of the building. Charlotte couldn't strip fast enough. Yanking the salt crusted clothes off and tossing them in a corner, she lowered herself into the pool slowly, testing its depths and temperature. Large, smooth rocks had been placed at the bottom which only seemed to be about four and a half feet deep as the water came up almost over her breasts and the water was just slightly cool. Bending her knees, Charlotte lowered herself until she was completely submerged, her hair floating around her as she scrubbed her fingers through it, loosening the salt. Since she hadn't bathed since the day she left England, the water felt absolutely heavenly. She was accustomed to bathing at least twice a week and knew she was going to have to adjust. Needing air, Charlotte popped up to the surface head leaned back as she pushed the water off her face and down her hair. It wasn't until she opened her eyes and heard someone clearing their throat that she realized she had an audience.

/

Vane had originally come into the hut to take a bath himself. He could still smell the stink of the prison on his skin and the memory of who placed him there was wreaking havoc on his temper. He hadn't realized someone else was even in the building until he walked into the entrance and almost tripped over the pile of clothes. Getting ready to shout obscenities at the person for being somewhere he wanted to be, Charles looked around the small room and found the person sitting at the bottom of the pool.

It didn't take him long to realize it was Charlotte and his anger spiked even higher. The woman seemed to be everywhere he went and the attraction he had for her made him even more angry. He was trying to reason with himself to turn and leave when he saw her tilt her head back and push her hair away from her face. As she surfaced, he was hypnotized by the water running off her face onto her breasts and back down into the pool. It didn't matter that he didn't want to be attracted to her, because he still noticed her beauty on a primal level. Dark brown hair made darker by the water, black eyelashes dark as soot that rested against sun tanned cheeks, full lips the color of pink at sunset and breasts that rounded above the water line making him want to dive his hands into the water to discover the rest of her.

/

At first, she assumed it was Madi returning with her clothes and towel until it dawned on her that the voice was masculine. Whipping her head over her shoulder to look in the doorway she saw none other than Captain Vane. To cover her embarrassment, she snapped, "Are you following me?!", as she turned her back to him and brought her arms up over her breasts. Vane said nothing as he leaned against the entrance. Charlotte knew she had to be blushing all over, but damn him, she wasn't going to let him intimidate her. For whatever reason, he seemed to enjoy it when she was flustered, so she mentally took a breath then dropped her arms and reached for the soap. He never moved as she washed her hair and then her whole body. Charlotte didn't know what to do to get him to leave and so she challenged him, "If you are going to continue standing there instead of leaving, you might as well be of some use." Vane's eyebrow lifted slightly, "What did you have in mind?" Charlotte lifted the bar of soap up over her head as she stepped backwards to the edge of the pool and used her most commanding voice, "Get my back."

/

Christ, he was a fool. The little chit was challenging him directly and instead of backing away from the flame that he knew was dangerous, he moved closer. His body was tight with tension, anger, and to be completely honest, a good deal of lust. It had been a long time since he had a woman and having one naked in front of him telling him to touch her was too much to resist. So, he would play with the fire, make it burn hotter, but then he would back away before it consumed him.

/

For a moment, she didn't think he would and she started to relax until she suddenly felt the bar being taken from her fingers gently. Tension immediately flooded her body and she couldn't do anything, but wait. Rough fingers slid slowly across the tops of her shoulders pushing her hair forward and Charlotte had to remember how to breath. She knew she was dealing a dangerous game, daring him to get this close, but somehow, she couldn't stop herself. He watched her, showed up everywhere she was and yet told her, rather rudely, she was none of his business. His mixed messages irritated her and put her in the mood to irritate him back.

/

Her skin was even softer than it looked and he found himself thinking his hands were too rough. He tried to keep them gentle on her, but when she arched back into his hands, sighing, his lust had his hands moving more quickly. The small room was quickly becoming too hot and he felt his shirt clinging to his back. He was beginning to consider shucking his clothes, climbing into the tub and finishing this game once and for all when she moved. What he saw made him angrier than ever.

/

She felt the bar of soap glide across her upper back and his free hand glide the other way rubbing the soap into her skin. She rolled her shoulders forward exposing more of her back to him. She had all but forgotten the ugly bunch of scars that crisscrossed her mid back until she felt both of his hands there without the bar of soap. She immediately tried to straighten and step away when his hands gripped her shoulders pinning her in place. "What happened?", he demanded, his voice coming out on a low growl.

The anger that sounded in his voice made her shudder as she replied, "Nothing. It was a long time ago." Vane growled back at her, "You think that I'll take that excuse?" Charlotte shook her head slightly, "My father's riding crop when I was ten. He had been gone for a week to London and I ran out to the stable to see him. I met him coming around the corner and when I bumped into him and fell I tore the dress I was wearing. I had no idea why he was so angry until I was a little older and learned that he had lost a lot of money that week gambling. My bumping into him just set him off."

Charlotte was uncomfortable telling him that much about her childhood and shook off his hands that were resting on her shoulders. Ducking under the water to rinse away the soap and awkwardness, she took her time coming back to the surface. When she did, he was gone and Madi was hanging up a change of clothes. "Do you feel better?", Madi asked as she held out the towel for Charlotte.

/

As soon as she dipped below the surface of the pool, Charles flung himself back and strode hard and fast away from the small hut into the jungle. The farther he walked, the more he thought about Charlotte and the differences between them. As soon as he thought about her, he would shake his head berating himself that he shouldn't be thinking about her at all let alone be angry about something that happened to her years ago. But then he would think about her as a small child being beaten for essentially nothing and the vicious cycle started all over again.

Anne and Jack found him an hour later, pacing a hole into the jungle floor. "He's been like this since we picked him up," Jack said to Anne as they watched their Captain. Anne said nothing and sat down to wait. Jack began pacing like Charles, "Do you think Eleanor did something?", Jack paused and shrugged his shoulders as he added, "You know, besides trying to hang him." Anne watched Vane for a moment and then looked up at Jack, "It ain't her that's bothering him. Or at least not only her." Jack looked back and forth between Charles and Anne, "What do you mean?" Anne fiddled with a piece of grass, "He's been done with Eleanor since she betrayed him in the fort. Nothing's left between them but hate and the damage she done to his trust. Which is why this new female is driving him crazy." Jack wrinkled his nose, "You mean Charlotte? She saved him. Why would she be driving him crazy?"

Anne shook her head at Jack. She loved him, but sometimes his thickness drove her nuts, "He wants to fuck her. What's worse, is so far, she has proven herself everything that Eleanor isn't. Charlotte has risked her life for him when she didn't even know him, then she saved Silver which was a selfless act and certainly one that Eleanor wouldn't have done. Eleanor was full of herself, over confident. Charlotte has been humble and proved herself a hard worker on the ship. It doesn't hurt that Charlotte is attractive. Do I really need to explain more? Charles was set in his mind to be done with women and now this new one is testing his resolve." Jack shook his head in disbelief, yet knew Anne was right, "Poor fellow." Jack sat down with Anne to wait on Vane to come to terms with the new situation, no matter how long it took.

/

After getting dressed in the clean clothes, Charlotte felt a million times better. The clothes were a bit small, but still serviceable and seeing as how she didn't have many options, Charlotte was grateful. Ian however, didn't agree. "Do you think you could have found clothes that were a bit more snug?", he asked her when she found him a short time later around a campfire with food cooking. She didn't know what was in the pot above the open flames, but she was hungry enough not to care. Plus, it smelled delicious.

Charlotte sat down beside Ian on the log as she replied, "They fit just fine and besides I'm happy that they are clean." Ian grunted as he was passed a plate of stew, "How was your bath princess?" Charlotte elbowed him in the side, making him almost spit out a mouthful, "Great thank you. You could use one yourself. You're becoming quite ripe." Ian glowered at her as he wiped at his chin. Charlotte grinned back as she accepted the plate that was handed to her.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly, with a breeze finally making its way between the dense vegetation. The pirates sat in groups telling stories and humming tunes. Charlotte and Ian sat with Billy and his men since they knew them better and enjoyed listening to the stories they told. Charlotte couldn't lie to herself, she flinched when she listened to the men talk about gutting a sailor or the way blood sprayed when you sliced a throat. She hadn't ever killed someone and had no idea how she would react when the time came. Besides, she couldn't fight with a sword at all. She had developed her shooting because it was something she could teach herself, but swords were something different all together and she didn't know how useful she would be on a ship without that skill.

That thought kept her from getting any sleep. The hut that she was in with Ian and the others had just enough floor space for everyone to lay down, but not with much room in between. Because of this, Ian had directed her to a spot close to the door but up against the wall, placing himself between her and the rest. This proved to be lucky since she couldn't settle to sleep that night. Between the stifling heat from all the bodies, the thought of being run through with a weapon she couldn't wield, and a Captain that was driving her crazy she decided to walk the village.

As soon as the cool night air hit her chest through the open v she breathed a sigh of relief and set off into the dark. She knew better than to wander too far from civilization since she had no idea what else occupied this island, but she did want a little privacy so she walked just a little farther than the last buildings. Plus, she had both her knife and pistols strapped to her waist just in case. She sat down under a tree, closing her eyes and let the sounds of the jungle fill her senses.

/

Vane had been restless himself since coming back from his hike into the forest. Jack and Anne had said nothing to him as he passed them on his way back to the village and for that he was grateful. Charles headed back to the bathing pool and thankfully discovered it was empty this time. Jack and Anne had made their way back to the main building where a meeting was taking place when Charles arrived after his quick bath. Flint, Silver, Madi and her mother, Billy, Jack and Anne were there discussing the next move. Billy, Madi and her mother all agreed that getting the slaves on Nassau to revolt would benefit their cause, but no one could agree on how this would be done. Charles sat with Anne and Jack listening to Billy and Flint argue.

Although he was paying attention to the argument, his mind was really focused on Charlotte. During the hours he had spent considering what to do, he had decided he was going to stay away from her. Nothing good could come of getting involved with her even if he kept it only physical. He was a pirate fighting to save his way of life, she was a Duke's daughter and, despite mistreatment, was used to a much more pampered lifestyle. She would soon tire of this misadventure of hers and return to what she knew.

Despite deciding this, she still would not leave his thoughts and this kept him angry and on edge. Becoming fed up with the useless back and forth argument between Billy and Flint, Vane simply left without a word. Jack and Anne stayed behind, knowing Charles would want to know if anything important happened.

Stepping out on to the wide porch of the building he looked over the village that was now quiet. As he walked down the steps heading towards his hammock he noticed he wasn't the only one up late. He was going to continue on his way when he realized who it was that was walking alone and out away from the village no less. His first instinct was to think that she was betraying them in some way, that she had led the British right to them. He followed her with those thoughts running through his head when he noticed she stopped just outside of the last torch and sat down under a tree.

Trying to figure out what she was doing, he watched her for a moment and saw her take a deep breath closing her eyes. As he watched her, he realized the clothing she had on was different than before. These were much tighter and showed every curve she had from the swell of her breasts to the slope of her waist to the curve of her hip and down her legs that seemed to extend forever.

Frustration bubbled up inside him, setting his temper on a slow burn. He should just walk away, letting her stay there in the dark and told himself that, as he walked straight up to her until he stood over her outstretched legs. She must have sensed him because in the next moment she was scrambling to her feet drawing a pistol from her belt, but he moved faster than she did. He grabbed her wrist that held her pistol and pushed it straight up over her head as he backed her into the tree, his other hand on her shoulder.

"Fuck!", she shouted as she slammed back in to the rough bark of the tree. Her hand that held the pistol was being squeezed until it fell limply to the ground. She raised her other arm trying to push against the wall of chest that was in front of her, but it didn't budge. It was then that she started to panic, berating herself about coming out into the dark alone when she heard his voice. "Enough," was all he said, but it had her jerking her head up to stare into his eyes. She stilled as their eyes locked, breath coming out of her in short pants. "What do you think you are doing out here besides making yourself an easy target?", he growled at her, but for the life of her all she could think about were how his eyes were a cold grey again and how his voice seemed to slide down her spine taking control of her.

When she didn't answer, he asked, "Well?" Charlotte shook her head slightly, "I couldn't sleep…" was all she managed to get out before he bit out, "And you thought this was a good alternative?" Finally pulling herself out of the spell his eyes seemed to have her under, her green eyes flashed defiance as she snapped back, "I thought I was none of your business Captain?" She spit the word Captain out as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. It hit the right nerve in Vane, or the wrong one, depending on which one you asked, but the result was the same.

His mouth crashed down over hers as he held her pinned to the tree. Charlotte had dealt with a few men who thought they could manhandle her into a kiss since her first attempt with Ian, but she had shown them exactly what they would get for the effort. The first had a slight bruise on his cheekbone, the second had a sore nose since her aim was better and the third and final had a broken nose and a black eye.

Her response to Charles was very different from those attempts. As his tongue delved into her mouth she responded by meeting his tongue with her own. His hand dropped from holding her arm above her head and slid behind her neck to tangle in her hair while her hand dropped to his shoulder squeezing and pulling him closer. His other hand moved from her shoulder to behind her waist pulling her lower half flush against him and he felt her arch her body closer sending lust spiraling to his head. This had him reaching for the belt at her waist that held her knife and other pistol, quickly unbuckling it and dropping it to the ground without breaking his mouth from hers.

She tasted better than he had imagined and taking his mouth from hers wasn't an option as he fumbled to pull the shirt out of her breeches. Finally freeing the frustrating piece, he slid his hands up her warm, smooth skin to the place they had wanted to be when she was in the bath. As Vane cupped her breasts, slowly massaging them while rolling the nipples between his fingers, Charlotte thought she would die from the pleasure. His kiss was hot and hungry as he continued to press into her and she thought she would burn from the inside out if he didn't do something soon.

Instead of continuing the heightening pleasure, Charles abruptly stopped, leaning the side of his forehead against hers, listening into the dark. Charlotte was oblivious to anything but the intense pressure building inside her and let out a small whimper at it being cut off. Vane put a finger to her lips as he continued to listen and that's when she heard the sounds. A group of people were talking and they were heading towards them by the increase in volume. Charles sat her back down on her own feet quickly, picked up her belt, took her hand and started walking back to the middle of the village staying behind the buildings. When they arrived back at the building she was staying in, Charles handed her the belt and pushed her towards the stairs. Before she could protest, he was gone, slipping back into the dark.

Charlotte made her way back into the hut, a little dazed by what had happened, and settled back into place behind Ian who was still sound asleep.


	4. Fight

AN: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed my story! I appreciate it so much and I am so glad that you enjoy it!

/

Charlotte hadn't slept well. Between the unquenched lust, the loud snoring, and the sweltering heat inside the building, she had barely begun to doze off when the sun began rising and the men with it. Ian however, woke bright and chipper only adding to Charlotte's annoyance. "What has you in such a foul mood today," he asked her as they stood in line for breakfast. Charlotte scrubbed at her eyes, "I didn't sleep at all."

Ian frowned down at her as they shuffled forward, "Why? I was comfortable." Charlotte scowled, "I know you were. You're snoring proved it. Besides the snoring, it was too hot." Ian grabbed her shoulders, rubbing them and slightly shaking them playfully when she slapped at them sharply, "Stop! I'm not in the mood." When she shook him off he knew something else had to be happening, "Something else is bothering you. I've seen you tired before and you are never this pissed."

Charlotte didn't turn to face him and instead hunched her shoulders, "I'm just tired." Ian didn't accept that excuse and instead, continued to watch her as they sat down to eat. It didn't take him long to figure out the hidden reason. Not long after they had sat down, Captain Vane walked by followed by Jack and Anne. Vane looked directly at Charlotte, but she never raised her eyes from her plate even though she tensed all over.

Ian almost growled out loud. He had told Vane to leave her alone and now clearly something had happened between them that had pissed off Charlotte. Soon after, Charlotte stood up, put her plate away and stalked off through the village. Ian rushed to keep up with her and caught up half way down the path. "What did he do," Ian demanded. Charlotte never stopped, "Nothing." Ian tried to grab her arm, but she shook him off, "Like hell he didn't! You can't think that I didn't notice."

Charlotte didn't answer and kept walking until Ian jumped in front of her. Charlotte looked up at him, "Nothing, Ian. I swear. Just stop." As she stepped around him, he shook his head. He wasn't a fool and knew she was just brushing him off, but decided to leave it alone for the moment. The walked the village in silence for a while until they came across Billy and some of his men practicing sword fighting.

Charlotte surprised Ian when she caught Billy's attention and asked, "Could you teach me?" Billy wiped at the sweat on his forehead, "How much do you know?" Charlotte shook her head, "Nothing. I was able to teach myself how to shoot, but it's a little harder to teach yourself the sword." Billy nodded and motioned to one of his men for an extra sword. Ian already knew sword fighting, but knew that practice wouldn't hurt so he picked up a spare blade himself and joined them.

The men paired up again as Billy began going over the basics with Charlotte such as proper stance, how to hold the blade and how to parry. "I won't teach you how to attack today. Just work on your footwork and holding the blade to defend yourself. Just that will have you sore," Billy explained as he came to stand in front of her, touching her elbow to bring up the sword a little. "It is heavier than I expected," she said as the blade shook a little. Billy nodded, "You'll need to get used to that until it's like an extension of your arm."

Unsheathing his own blade, Billy brought his up into an attack stance. Charlotte's eyes widened and Billy chuckled, "I'll go slow. I just want you to get a feel for blocking another blade." Starting slow, Charlotte began to realize just how much work she had a head of her before she became even remotely capable. Even so, she was doing well enough that Billy began pushing her a little after an hour, going a little faster in his attacks. She was blocking well until her arm began to fatigue. Their blades met and she blocked most of the attack however, Billy's slid just a little past her block, slicing her upper cheek just below her left eye.

Charlotte took a few quick steps back from the pain, bringing up her hand to cover the cut as Billy quickly lowered his sword a rushed forward. "Are you all right? I'm sorry, I should have known you were getting tired. Is it bad," he asked all this in rapid succession. Charlotte chuckled, "I'm fine. It's just a little cut." She dropped her hand to show him and Ian who had come over to investigate. The cut was only about two inches long and not very deep, but since it was on her face it was bleeding quite a bit. As the blood dripped off her chin she said, "I think I had better go get this cleaned up."

Before Ian could say anything, Charlotte held up her hand, "I'll be fine on my own. Stay here, both of you, and continue." Charlotte began to hand Billy back the cutlass, but he waved her away, "Keep it. It's yours. You'll be sore tomorrow, but if you really want to get better, meet me back here at the same time and I'll keep practicing with you." Charlotte thanked him and slid the sword into her belt, "I'll see you tomorrow then." Charlotte set off to the bath house, pleased that she was learning a valuable skill, but rubbing her arm from stiffness, nonetheless.

The village was busy with everyday activity and so she didn't notice Jack and Anne up above on one of the walkways to her right. "Wonder what happened to her," Anne asked Jack. Jack had his back turned to where Anne was looking, "Who?" Jack saw Anne motion below them and so he turned around just in time to see Charlotte with blood running down her cheek, rubbing her arm. "I don't know, but Charles isn't going to like it," Jack said and then jumped as he heard right behind him, "What won't I like?" Jack began to stammer out an excuse when Anne pointed below. When Charles looked down he saw Charlotte, but didn't understand what he wouldn't like until she turned around to someone behind her, exposing her left cheek to him. He was gone before Jack or Anne could stop him.

Charlotte turned around to Madi who was catching up with her when she saw the look on Madi's face as she slowed a few steps away. Charlotte turned around and almost bumped into someone's chest. Before she could move, her chin was being grasped in firm fingers and thrust up and to the right. Locking eyes with a certain Captain, Charlotte clenched her jaw and slapped his hands away, "Get off!" She felt eyes on them from all around as he demanded, "Who?" That simple word made her want to tell him and to hit him all at the same time. She chose to reply calmly, "None of your business."

Charles began to demand an answer when she cut him off, "Do you really want to do this here with an audience, Captain?" She watched in satisfaction as his own jaw clenched now and his eyes narrowed, until he gripped her upper arm and began hauling her away. She followed him with very little struggle until they were in a building, then she took both hands and shoved directly into the center of his chest. If he had been standing squarely and there hadn't been a stool in his way, the push wouldn't have made him take more than a step, but his balance was off and before he could blink he was on his ass staring up at a woman who looked like she could joyfully kill him.

"Don't you ever put your hands on me like that again. I held my temper this time, but next time I won't care who is watching," she hissed the warning out at him as she stabbed her finger in his face. "It is none of your fucking business what happens to me and I am tired of this ridiculous game. You stay the hell away from me Captain Vane until you can decide what the fuck you want," Charlotte demanded. Satisfied, she spun on her heel and reached for the door handle, ready for a dramatic exit when she was spun around forcibly and pushed back into the door. Vane's mouth came down on hers hard, trying to punish her for the shove and the speech, and for a moment Charlotte enjoyed the feel of him against her.

Then she did something he didn't expect again, she landed an uppercut under his chin sending him stumbling back. He'd been slapped by many women, none had punched him. Charlotte stood there fuming, "I'm deadly serious. No more games." Then she was gone.

/

Anne watched from across the way as Charlotte stomped out of the building, slamming the door behind her. She saw Charlotte take a deep breath, shake herself, then stride off towards the bath house. Anne almost smiled, she was please that if there was going to be another woman on a crew that it was one who had a spine, but also understood the politics of the ship. Challenging a Captain in public, no matter the reason, wasn't a good idea, and Charlotte already showed good judgement in taking the argument private.

Just as Jack joined Anne, Vane stepped out of the building and they could tell he was furious. "Christ, why does this have to be happening," Jack asked, shaking his head. "We should be focused on pushing back the English and retaking Nassau, but Charles is too busy with this female and Flint and Billy are too busy fighting each other," he said as Vane approached them. Jack was pleasantly surprised when Charles said, "Find Flint and Billy. We need to make a plan soon." Without asking any questions, the three split up to search.

/

Charlotte was angry to say the least as she washed her face and the cut. She kept replaying everything that had happened since she had first arrived in Nassau and her interactions with Vane just made her angrier. She was desperately attracted to him, she could admit that to herself, and it was making her make poor choices. Instead of prioritizing learning how to survive in this new environment, she had been too busy daydreaming. Well, from now on that stopped. Vane was clearly not in any frame of mind to make decisions and in any case, did she really want to be romantically involved with a pirate? She was quite sure she was the type of girl to require a commitment and was positive that he wasn't the kind of man to offer one. The whole situation was ridiculous and she vowed to put an end to the nonsense.

She was stepping out of the bathing hut when a man leaning up against the outside wall slapped her on the ass and winked at her. The man was one who had been calling obscenities and leering at her since she had been discovered a woman and so far she had just ignored him. She had found out he was part of Vane's crew and Billy had warned her to stay far from them, that they were not the typical pirates.

Not wanting to start anything now while she was alone, Charlotte quickly walked away from him and back towards the village. Luckily, he didn't follow her and she found Ian walking with Billy. "It doesn't look as bad now that the blood is gone," Ian told her once they stopped. Billy nodded, "I am sorry though." Charlotte smiled, "Really, it's not a big deal. I can't even feel it now. I assume more injuries will be common if we continue so we might as well accept it." Billy nodded, "Most likely. I have a meeting to get to, so I will see you later."

As Ian and Charlotte watched him walk off Charlotte said, "I wonder what they are always meeting about. They seem to talk a lot, but nothing ever happens." Ian shrugged his shoulders, "I'm sure we will find out soon enough." Charlotte was much more curious, but followed Ian away from the building. It was her turn to help with supper preparations anyway.

/

Hours later, once everyone had been fed, she was handed a tray along with another woman from the island. "Take this to the Captain's. They'll be wanting food and there's no telling when they'll come out," the ship's cook said. Charlotte couldn't believe her luck. She was too curious for her own good, but at least she might get to quench some of that curiosity. Billy and Flint were shouting at each other when she opened the door and it took her a minute before she could follow what they were saying.

"We cannot invade the island!" Flint shouted as Billy shouted back over him, "We need the people!"

"We risk hundreds of lives of potential supporters!"

"Once we have the land, the people will follow us!"

"Even if we free the slaves in time, what good will that do if the Royal Navy is coming?!"

The back and forth argument continued as Charlotte and the woman set out the food on the table. Once they were done, the other woman left quickly, but Anne watched as Charlotte followed the argument. No one had come up with any solutions and Anne's head was beginning to ache. She lifted her chin at Charlotte and asked, "What?" Surprisingly, this caught everyone's attention and they all turned to look at Charlotte. Caught by her own curiosity, Charlotte blushed, but spoke up about the idea she had forming, "I could find out what the Royal Navy plans regarding Nassau."

They all looked at her speechless until Madi spoke, "How could you find this out?" Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, a little uncomfortable, "My godfather is the Admiral of the Fleet Sir Stafford Fairborne. His wife hosts a ball this time each year and he is always in attendance. I usually attend and I can ask. If that doesn't work, I'll search his office for information."

When they continued to stare at her she said, "Or not. I'll just go." As she started to leave, Flint called out, "Wait!" Charlotte turned as he continued, "Do it. I'll sail you back to England myself." Charlotte was pleased that she could help until Vane spoke, "I'll take her. You, Billy and Silver are needed here to build support. Everyone in England thinks I've been hung so they won't be looking for me." Charlotte prayed that Flint would refuse and that she would be allowed some space from her temptation, but she was not to be spared. Flint nodded, "True. Alright, hopefully this proves profitable."

As Charlotte left, Charles sat in his chair silently wondering where the hell his intelligence had gone. Even as he had volunteered to go he had wondered at his own stupidity. Had he been smart, he would have let Flint take her back to England and hopefully leave her there. As he pondered the situation, the thought of leaving her in England became more appealing. He'd get the information they needed then leave her back where she belonged. Pleased with his decision, he came back to the present to listen as Silver spoke about the slaves on the island.

/

Charlotte spent the remaining week practicing her sword skills with Billy and avoiding Vane. She was improving slightly, but not nearly enough to actually fight someone and she hoped this voyage would prove uneventful. As she and Ian boarded the Ranger at the end of the week Ian said, "We should just stay in England and call this adventure finished." Charlotte shook her head, "We've barely been gone over a month. There is no way he's given up yet. Just going back for the ball is dangerous enough." Ian looked around at the crew on board and said, "Not as dangerous as this voyage is going to be." Charlotte silently agreed. She could feel the difference in attitude from the Ranger to the Walrus and knew she was going to have to be careful.

It wasn't but a few days into the voyage when danger found Charlotte. She had successfully avoided Captain Vane, but hadn't avoided the harassment from certain members of the crew. They were smart enough to not do it in ear shot of Ian, but they were relentless. Charlotte did her best to ignore it, but one evening after coming out of the head she wasn't able to ignore it any more. The same man who had slapped her on the ass back on the island now stepped up behind her, one of his arms around hers and the other around her waist trying to find a way into her pants.

Adrenaline hit her system like a ton of bricks, fear and anger flooding her system so that for a brief moment she was frozen. However, it didn't take her long to get moving again. Slamming her left heel into the instep of his foot, she simultaneously bit down on his arm. As he released her, she spun quickly bringing up her right knee to connect with his nose and she slammed his head down with her hands. The move had him dropping to the deck and trying to roll away from her. He succeeded in rolling down the stairway to the main deck, but Charlotte followed him. She jumped down on him intending to beat his face to a pulp when he caught her with a right hook, sending her reeling back off him. As this was happening, it was beginning to draw a crowd and that caught Jack's attention. He saw the fight just as the man was about to jump down on Charlotte who was flat on her back. Charlotte was a decent combative because she brought both feet to her chest and slammed both heels into the man's chin knocking him back to the deck.

Jack jumped the railing and ran to the Captain's cabin just as Charlotte climbed on top of the man and began to pummel his face with her fists. Jack burst into the cabin, "Charles you better come quick." The look in Jack's eyes had Vane springing up from his desk and running behind Jack. He expected to see something on fire or some of the crew to be fighting. He did not expect to push through every crew member he had to find Charlotte in the center, sitting on another crewman's chest slamming her fist into the sloppy mess that was left of the man's face.

Blood splatter covered the front of her and for a moment Charles couldn't look away. It was soon clear that she wasn't going to quit until the man was dead and so Charles ran in and pulled her off while Jack checked on the man. Charlotte was about to swing on him when he called her name, "Charlotte!" Coming out of the haze of her anger she was able to focus on him and so he saw when her adrenaline began to recede, leaving her shaking. Charles anger hit an all time high when he saw the tear roll down her cheek. "What happened," he demanded, his fists clenched at his sides to keep from touching her.

Charlotte wanted to tell him everything. The woman in her cried out for him to fix everything and just take her away, but the independence in her refused. She knew that crew members settled issues between themselves by fighting all the time. If she tattled now, it would irreparably damage her relationship with the crew and they would never respect her. So her reply made Charles all the more angry, "Just a disagreement, Captain." She saw his jaw clench, "You almost killed a member of my crew over a disagreement?"

Charlotte saw out of the corner of her eye the rest of the crew watching her as she felt something drip into her eye. Wiping at the moisture she looked back at Vane, "Yes." She knew she was in trouble when he gripped her arm and began hauling her through the crew, but the look of respect on the crews faces and her own absolute exhaustion kept her from fighting back.

Charles was just opening the door of the cabin when Ian came out of nowhere, "What the hell is going on?" He demanded until he caught full sight of Charlotte covered in blood. He went completely white, "What have you done?" This question was directed at Charles and Vane snarled in response, "Nothing and if you want to keep your life that is exactly what you will do." At that point, Charles jerked Charlotte into the cabin behind him and slammed the door in Ian's face. Despite the warning, Ian was about to burst in when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Anne, "Leave them alone. Whatever is going on is between them is none of your business no matter how much you love her." Ian began to argue and then hung his head in defeat.

/

Inside the cabin, Charles drug Charlotte over to the window where the last light of the sun was shining through. Leaving her standing there he grabbed a pitcher of water and a cloth and brought them back to the bench. He was a little concerned when she just stood there docile and let him set her down. Neither spoke while he splashed water on to the cloth and began wiping her face. He started at her forehead and when he made it to her eyes she was crying. Not sobbing or making a sound, silent tears rolled down her cheeks mixing with the blood already drying.

He wanted to destroy the person who was responsible, but she had already done a great job of that herself, so all he could do was sit here wiping her face. When her face was clean and the tears seemed to have stopped Charles said, "I have to know what happened. If there is a problem with my crew Charlotte I have to know." Charlotte took a deep breath and finally looked Vane in the eye, "If I tell you and you do anything, the crew will never accept me. They have to know that I am strong enough on my own." Even though it frustrated him, Charles understood her reasoning and said, "I won't do anything, but I need to know what happened."

Charlotte looked at him for a moment and finally nodded, "For weeks, a few of the crew have been saying things. Nothing serious and so I paid no attention. I hoped that it would eventually stop until the man tonight grabbed me and tried to…", she trailed off not because it was difficult to speak about, but because Charles was crushing her hand. "You're going to break my hand if you squeeze any harder," she told him. He dropped her hand quickly and sat back on the bench. "I was able to stop him and we fought. That's when you came out and broke up the fight," she finished explaining. She noticed that without his hand holding hers that they were shaking so she gripped them together.

Before Charles could say anything, someone knocked on the door. Irritated at the interruption he yelled, "What!" Jack stuck his head around the door and said, "I have news about the crewman." This caught Charlotte's attention and Charles cursed Jack's timing. "What about him," Charles asked as he stood up. Jack took a quick look at Charlotte and when it was clear the Captain wanted him to continue he stepped inside and shut the door. "He is unconscious, but will live although he will lose his left eye." Charles heard Charlotte gasp and wondered about her sympathy for a man who attacked her. "Once he's awake let me know," Charles said. Jack nodded and left quickly.

When he turned back to Charlotte she said, "I had no idea I was doing that…" Charles walked back to stand in front of her, "It sounds as if he got what he asked for." Charlotte looked up at him and he could see this was a turning point for her. He could scare her now, have her running for England and civilized life or he could tell her the truth. "You are more capable of taking care of yourself than you know. If this is the life you want, all you have to do is reach out and take it," he said softly.

It was dark in the cabin now as the sun had fully set, but what light remained reflected on the water onto his face and Charlotte couldn't look away. When she stretched out a shaking hand, knuckles bloody and bruised, Charles took it in his own and gently drew her up to him. Bringing her hand between them he placed a soft kiss on the abused knuckles, then slid a hand into her hair to draw her mouth to his. This time his kiss rewarded instead of punished and Charlotte let all of her fears melt away. When they broke apart, Charlotte was shaking again.

Vane held on to her as he said, "I've got to make some adjustments to our course, but I'll be back. Clean water is over on that table in the corner and I've got a clean shirt in that wardrobe." Charlotte nodded as he stepped away, and even after he had gone she stood still thinking about how her life had just changed again. Smiling slightly, she walked to the corner table and stripped. Dipping a cloth into the water she washed her face, arms, chest and hands trying not to think about how the blood had gotten there, but by the time she was done she was weak from exhaustion. She found a shirt, crawled onto the bed and immediately fell asleep.

She was on her stomach, her head turned towards the door with one leg pulled up, the shirt barely covering her butt when Vane came back and found her. The sight of her completely relaxed in his bed shifted something deep in his chest, but he brushed the feeling aside. Stripping down to nothing he crawled into the bed beside her and pulled her under the covers with him. He thought she might pull away when she began to wiggle, but she only turned toward him, tucking her head under his chin, putting her arm around his waist and one of her legs through his before falling back into a deep sleep. Charles slept better that night than he had in months.


	5. Pleasure

AN: THANK YOU! I love seeing new reviews, followers, and favorites! I appreciate each and every one and I hope you continue to enjoy!

/

Charlotte woke slowly, feeling the rock and sway of the ship as the morning sun was rising through the window. She began to stretch when she felt the warm body next to her. As her hand encountered a bare chest she smiled slowly. Most ladies of her class wouldn't have been caught dead in her situation having been taught that sex was something to be ashamed of and only something done in the dark of a bedroom quickly, but the nursemaid who had raised her had taught her there was nothing to be afraid of and had explained everything. She told Charlotte that sex was something to be respected and that you should only pick someone you want to be with, but after that it should be fun and enjoyable and nothing to be ashamed of.

Charlotte continued to blindly explore the smooth surface and all its ridges and planes until she felt the rumble of laughter in his chest. "Do you like what you are touching?" he asked her, chuckling. Charlotte playfully slapped at his chest, "Yes, now hush you are ruining it." She was rolled to her back and being pressed into the mattress by that chest before she could blink. She didn't get a chance to even look at him before his mouth was covering hers. Heaven. That's what kissing him felt like. From the roughness of his short beard, to his hard lips that were gentle, to his tongue teasing hers, she knew she could stay right here forever. His arms were on either side of her head and she ran her fingers over the tight muscles there, loving how they relaxed and tensed beneath her touch.

As her hands began to explore his back, arms, sides, and almost anything else she could touch, Charles hands began an exploration of their own. He slid his hands beneath the shirt she was wearing and gripped her waist pulling her upright so that she was straddling his bent knees. Every time he touched her, she surprised him with her eager responses and this time was no different. He expected false modesty. What he got was a dose of his own lust. Charlotte wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, bringing them into complete contact as she stretched her arms above her head clearly waiting for him to strip the shirt from her like he intended.

When it took him a minute, she arched a black brow at him and smirked, "Distracted, Captain?" The shirt was over her head in less than a second, his mouth demanding on hers as his hand held her head firmly and his other held her naked body flush against his. He could already tell this first time was going to be fast and for some reason that made him both excited and disappointed. Going slow was never a concern, but this time he wanted to make sure she enjoyed it as well. All thoughts of going slow flew out of his head when Charlotte began slowly rising and sinking on his lap, using her legs as leverage.

To keep her from controlling the pace, he laid her back down on the bed, but didn't immediately follow. Instead he stayed on his knees above her, taking her all in from her flushed cheeks, to her full breasts above a trim waist that rounded in to full hips and extended down to legs long enough that they were still wrapped around him exposing her to his full view.

As Vane sat above her looking her over from head to toe, Charlotte was doing some looking of her own. Even with her nursemaid's description of the male form, nothing could have prepared her for him. To Charlotte, he was almost too handsome to look at and she felt herself blushing, but couldn't look away. She started at his chest because she knew if she looked directly at him she wouldn't be able to look anywhere else and she desperately wanted to see all of him. His chest was broad, covered in lean muscle and hard. As many times as her nose had connected with it, she should know she laughed to herself. Muscle rippled all over his body, displaying the power that lied just beneath his tan skin. A scar on his left shoulder caught her attention and she filed it away to ask him about later. Her eyes continued to explore him, down his waist to where is muscles bulged in his thighs from bulge between his legs now caught her attention and it spiked the deep ache in her belly to an all-time high making her unintentionally dig her heels into his ass.

Charles watched her face as her gaze went lower and he saw her bite her lower lip as her legs flexed around him. It was all the invitation he needed to get where he wanted to be. He hovered over her, one arm braced against the mattress so he didn't crush her and his other hand sought the entrance his body wanted. She was already wet and the slick feel of her on his fingers threatened his tightly reined control as he slowly slid one finger then another into her tight entrance.

Charlotte couldn't believe it felt this good and she moved out of instinct, flattening her feet on the bed and pushing her hips toward his hand that was building the tight pressure inside her. She didn't realize she was moaning until Vane rested his head on her shoulder and growled, "If you don't stop the noises, I'm not going to make it." Charlotte blushed, "I'm sorry I didn't know…" He cut her off, his mouth devouring hers until he surfaced for air saying, "Don't be. I fucking love it, but I won't last." Realizing what he meant, Charlotte smiled, pushed his fingers out of her then wrapped her legs firmly below his ass and pulled him flush to her saying, "Then don't wait.

Their lips locked again as Vane rolled his hips, rubbing his cock against her. When he pulled his hips back, Charlotte grabbed him and guided him to her entrance and with one quick thrust he filled her completely, both of them crying out in pleasure. Charles went entirely still and Charlotte enjoyed the full feeling of him until she noticed he still wasn't moving. When she looked up at him, he was staring at her and Charlotte began to wonder if she'd done something wrong when he asked, "Why didn't you tell me?" She knew what he was talking about, "About my being a virgin? Why does it matter?"

Charles groaned as she shifted beneath him, "Stop! I don't want to hurt you." Charlotte realized he wasn't angry with her and instead was worried. She figured she would have to get better at reading his moods since they all sounded angry as she shifted her hips again. Charles pressed his weight down on her, trying to make her stop and then noticed her grinning. "You aren't hurting me, but you are going to piss me off if you stop now when this feels so good," she said trying to wiggle her hips. Charles looked surprised at her answer, asking, "You don't hurt?"

To answer him, Charlotte pulled her legs up as far as they would go, wrapping them around his lower back making him sink deeper into her as she arched her head back and let out a deep moan of pleasure. Never one to miss an opportunity, Vane pulled his hips back slightly then slowly slid forward again. He got the best answer he had ever heard, "Fuck you feel good. Don't stop, please, don't stop," she begged him, her head still arched back on the pillow.

Charles picked up the pace, driving her into the mattress as he felt her getting close to her release. Charlotte had her hands above her head, pressed into the wall to keep her head from being slammed and Charles was enjoying the view of her breasts bouncing with each thrust when he heard her beg, "More, I need more of you." He didn't miss a beat as he grabbed her left leg pushing it up over his shoulder allowing him deeper access as his left thumb found the bud at her entrance. Her scream of pleasure had him going faster than he thought possible until he felt her spasm around him. He couldn't have held back if it meant life or death and the pulse of his cock deep within her kept her own orgasm lasting longer.

Utterly spent, Charles fell to his side on the mattress listening to Charlotte's heavy breathing and smiled until he heard her chuckle, "Pleased with yourself, are you?" He turned his head to look at her and for a moment his heart hurt. She was stunning and he was a fool. She deserved someone who was going to give her a life. Here, in this vulnerable moment, he acknowledged how brave she was to start a new life so different from what she knew, to sacrifice herself to save people she didn't know, to depend on herself for her own safety. Not many women, or men for that matter, would take on the adventure she had and he admired her. Despite this, he knew that he wouldn't ever be what she deserved. He was broken, from his growing up, his criminal life and not to mention his disastrous ties with Eleanor, he wasn't good enough.

Charlotte frowned when he didn't answer and his smile faded. Reaching out a hand, she touched his jaw and when his eyes met hers she began to worry, "Where did you go?" He deflected the question by rolling her on to her back and kissing her deeply. Charlotte enjoyed his attentions, but it didn't distract her. She did however, let the question go for the time being, sensing that he wasn't ready to talk. When they came up for air, Charles asked, "For being a virgin, how were you so…" When he couldn't find the word, Charlotte teased him, "Amazing?"

Charles trailed kisses down her jaw to her collarbone as he laughed, "Yes, fucking amazing." Charlotte's breath came in pants as she said, "My nursemaid explained everything, thoroughly. Told me there was nothing to be afraid of and that whenever I met the man I wanted to be with I shouldn't wait. I should just enjoy being with him. Lucky you." Vane was at her breasts now, his hand on one as he licked and nipped at the other, "Lucky me," he mumbled as he took her nipple in his mouth.

His cock was pressed against her hip and Charlotte could feel him growing hard again. She grabbed the back of his head and pulled him up to her mouth saying, "Again." Charles answered in to her mouth, "Yes," as he gripped her hips and rolled her on to her stomach. Raising up on to his knees, he was just lifting her up on to hers when a knock sounded loudly on the door. Charlotte had never heard him so pissed when he shouted, "Who the fuck is it!?" Charlotte had to bury her head in the pillow to keep her laugh from bubbling out. Charles must have heard her because a hand swatted her ass just enough to sting. Charlotte jumped, turning her head to look at him and saw the smirk on his face.

Narrowing her eyes, she paid him back for that by turning around and taking his cock in her mouth. His head immediately kicked back, muscles in his neck sticking out at as his hand automatically shot to the back of her head, "Oh fuck!" The person on the other side of the door asked, "What?" But Charles couldn't answer, Charlotte's warm mouth on his cock was robbing him of his senses until she abruptly stopped. Confused, he looked around and saw her kneeling in front of him smirking, "Are you going to answer them?" It took him a moment, then he leapt out of the bed, stomping to the door butt naked, which allowed Charlotte to enjoy the backside of him until he flung open the door which had her scrambling under the covers.

"What the fuck do you want Jack!?" Charles yelled as he turned back into the room to find his pants. Jack stood frozen in the doorway until Charles hollered again, "Well!" Jack stumbled into the room and cleared his throat, "A ship's been spotted. Merchant. Spanish. The men were wondering if we are going to take it." Charles shook his head as he thrust his legs in to his pants, "No, we have a mission…" Charlotte interrupted him, sitting up in the bed keeping the sheet tucked under her arms, "Take it." Charles looked at her as he slid his boots on, "No, we don't need the loot right now." Charlotte shook her head, "We are ahead of schedule to reach England and taking a prize would make the crew a little less bitter about being sent somewhere they hate." When she saw Charles begin to scowl she backed down, "I'm sorry. It's your call and I shouldn't have said anything." She lowered her head, scolding herself for saying anything when she heard Charles, "Tell the crew to ready. We'll take her." When the door closed to the cabin, Charlotte sighed and shook her head. How could she have ruined her relationship, if it could be called that, on the first day. The hand under her chin made her jump, "Christ, I thought you left!"

Charles didn't smile, "You'll stay here." The order came out cold, but Charlotte observed everything from his posture to the look in his eyes, "I'll be fine, but I'm not staying locked up in here. I can help and I am part of the crew." She watched his jaw clench and thought about how sexy it was when he did that. "You can't fight with a sword so how do you propose to help?" he asked her.

Blushing that her fault had been discovered by him she replied, "I can still shoot. I'll be able to kill them before you can." This made Charles smirk, but then he grew serious again, "Stay with Anne and Jack." Charlotte nodded eagerly, accepting the condition knowing she was lucky he bent at all, "I swear." He kissed her, drawing her up to her knees on the bed and she let the sheet fall away. It felt daring and a little naughty to be pressed against him fully clothed while she was naked and she enjoyed the feeling as his hands slid from the small of her back to her ass where they squeezed. He groaned in to her mouth before pulling back, "Get dressed, before I call this off just to get naked with you."

Charlotte laughed as he stepped back and threw the shirt she had been wearing last night at her. She pulled it over her head as he shut the door to the cabin and she quickly went through his drawers to find a set of pants. Everything of his was big on her but she tucked the shirt in to the pants and then cinched those down with a piece of rope. Tucking the pants into her boots, she thought the outfit was serviceable enough for the moment so she left the cabin to gather her weapons from her spot on the mess deck.

She met Ian there and he looked sad when he asked, "Him? Are you sure?" Knowing that there was no time guarantee with Charles she answered honestly, "For now," as she strapped her pistol belt across her chest and her knife and sword to her waist. She missed the heartbroken look that passed Ian's face before he replied, "Just be careful Char." She looked up at him and smiled as she slung the rifles across her back, "Always. You be careful today." Ian nodded as she strode past him to find Anne and Jack.

It was a challenge to dodge sailors as they readied the ship, but Charlotte noticed as she made her way to the quarterdeck that the crew nodded to her as she past. This made her think about the man she had beaten last night and she thought about what Charles had said about him deserving what he got. She decided to agree and to ignore the part of her that was a little scared that she could harm someone like that. Instead, she chose to be impressed with her defense capabilities. Jack and Anne were already on the quarterdeck when she arrived and Jack spoke first. "Thank you for talking him in to this," he said.

Charlotte shook her head, "I didn't talk him into anything. I shouldn't have spoken to him the way I did. I only meant to give my opinion as part of the crew." Anne smirked, "Appreciate the attitude you have towards him, but you also shouldn't underestimate your influence." Charlotte nodded, "I understand the situation, but I hope it's clear that I will follow him as Captain of this ship and not try to control him." Anne walked up to Charlotte looking her square in the eye as she stuck out her hand for her to shake. Charlotte took it and was surprised at the strength of Anne's grip, "I think we'll get along just fine," Anne said.

Charles joined them on the quarterdeck just then and asked Jack, "What's going on?" as he nodded to the two women. Jack shrugged, "Woman stuff?" Charles just shook his head, "You and Anne stay close to her today. Keep her out of the main fight." Jack nodded, "Of course."

/

To Charlotte, it felt as if days passed before the Spanish merchant was in range of their guns, but it was only a few hours. The crew of the Ranger was ready below the main deck as the barrage of cannons were fired. The merchant was only able to fire a few volleys, doing minimal damage before ropes were thrown across their deck to drag them closer. The cannon from the Ranger had done substantial damage and Charlotte could see through some of the holes that had been left behind. It looked like the main body of fighting was to be on the deck of the merchant so Anne, Jack and Charlotte stayed on the quarter deck. Charlotte had already loaded every rifle and pistol so she lined up her first shot, hitting a man on the main deck who seemed to be directing the enemy sailors directly in the forehead.

Charles had been running toward the sergeant when the man collapsed with a hole in his head. When he looked back to the Ranger, he saw Charlotte put down the rifle and reach for another. Charles laughed and leapt back in to the fight. He only checked on her once more during the fight, but a Spanish sailor to advantage of his inattention. Luckily, the sailor was exhausted and missed his mark, but the blade still sliced along Charles upper right arm. After running the man through Charles made a vow to focus. Charlotte continued to pick off sailors as the crew fought hand to hand and the Spanish soon surrendered, less than half of their crew left alive.

The merchant was loaded with wool, cotton, building materials, and a few chests of Spanish gold so the crew of the Ranger was in good spirits as they worked on loading the supplies on to their ship. Unloading, took several hours and Charles worked side-by-side with the crew in the task so he didn't look for Charlotte until late afternoon. He was surprised to find her on the main deck of the Ranger helping transfer cargo from the merchant with the rest of the crew. She looked comfortable there, in a perfect rhythm with the men and she even laughed at a joke one of them told. He could tell it was something entirely inappropriate because he saw her try to hold the laugh in, but lost it as it burst from her lips. He watched the men around her laugh good naturedly at her embarrassment.

Not hours ago, this same crew had harassed her and now she had won them over completely. Charles was amazed at her and for a moment just stood admiring her. "She's one of us now Charles." Jack said as he walked up behind Vane. Charles nodded as he replied, "I know." Turning back to the business at hand, Charles began asking Jack about the inventory.

/

It was dark before Charles made it back to his cabin, completely exhausted, but happy. He had started off the day in bed with a beautiful woman, fought a merchant ship and took the prize, and now was going back to his bed with the aforementioned woman. Except when he opened the door it was dark and quiet inside. He had expected Charlotte to be waiting on him when he arrived. Instead he found himself searching his ship for her. He found her in the galley eating with some of the crew. Her hair she had braided was wind swept, her cheeks pink from being out in the sun all day and she looked completely spent, but her eyes were full of laughter and she was smiling.

Charles wondered if she would always take his breath this way. She must have sensed him because she raised her eyes to him and he saw them turn soft and warm. Not wanting to make a scene, Charles nodded his head behind him and she nodded hers in return. He didn't wait for her to follow, just headed to his cabin knowing she wasn't far behind. He had just sat in his desk chair when she stepped in to the cabin closing the door and leaning on it. "I didn't know how busy you would be or if you'd need any privacy," she said watching him with hooded eyes. Charles sat still in the chair waiting to see what she would do and she didn't disappoint him.

Pushing off from the door, she untied her hair letting the waves free to fall to her hips. Letting her hips swing loose, she slowly walked towards the desk as she pulled the shirt free of the pants and over her head. She watched as Charles took a deep breath and his hands clenched the arms of the chair. Smiling to herself she stopped in a few feet from him and bent over at the waist to take off her boots. Charles eyes locked on to her breasts as the swung with her movements and he had to shift his hips to relieve the pressure. Standing back up, Charlotte turned around showing him her back, which disappointed him for just a moment until she untied the rope holding the pants up and bent over to take them off.

They didn't make it off her ankles before Charles had her bent over the desk, her legs spread as far as the pants would allow and her hands braced wide holding her up. His roughness made her instantly wet and he discovered this as one of his hands began to explore her folds while the other loosened his own pants. Finding her slick and ready for him had his cock punching out of his pants and he barely pulled them down enough before he entered her. Gripping her hips, he pulled her tight against him, sinking in to her as far as he could.

The pleasure had him throwing his head back as he slid out and back in slowly at first, but just like this morning she wouldn't let him keep that pace. Pushing herself back in to him harder with each thrust, her whimpers of pleasure had him gripping a hand full of her hair and pulling her back for a rough kiss. When he felt her teeth nip at his tongue, he smiled into her mouth as he shoved her back to the desk and leaned over her further for better leverage. He felt her begin to spasm quickly after and felt his own answering orgasm grip his balls. Even though they had sex just this morning, this orgasm seemed to last forever, traveling over them in waves, until Charles collapsed on top of Charlotte still bent over the desk.

When he began to get up, Charlotte whimpered, "Not yet." Charles chuckled and swatted her butt, "We can't sleep over the desk." Charlotte smiled back at him from where her head lay on the desk, "Why not?" To answer her, he scooped her up in his arms and threw her onto the bed as she shrieked. Charlotte bounced back up to a sitting position laughing as she watched Charles strip. Her laughter soon quieted when he stood naked in front of her. She watched him swell as she looked him over and she enjoyed him having that reaction until she noticed his arm. "What happened," she asked, reaching out to touch the injury.

Charles had forgotten all about it until she mentioned it, "A reminder to pay attention." Charlotte looked him in the eye then and said, "You were worried about me, weren't you?" The way she said it wasn't making fun of him as Eleanor would have done. Charlotte was mad at herself instead, "I should have just stayed in here like you said." The concern she had for him made him take her face between his hands, "You were incredible today. Without you, the fight would have lasted much longer with more of those men out there dead. I did worry about you, but now I know that's wasted effort." Charlotte smiled, "Be more careful next time, won't you?" Charles kissed her deeply, almost melting her on the spot. "Yes," was all he whispered into her mouth as he climbed up on the bed with her.

As he laid her down on the bed she frowned, "We aren't going to sleep, are we?" She looked so disappointed Charles had to laugh, "Not for a long time and you are utterly exhausted." She grinned in reply, "I think you'll be exhausted before me." Charles took her up on that challenge all night long.


	6. London

AN: I love you guys! Thank you for all the reviews, they absolutely make my day!

/

Charlotte lay alone in Vane's bed as he had left before dawn to check on their course and the crew. They hadn't gotten much sleep last night and a smile lit up her face until she tried to move finding herself sorer than she had thought. Grateful Charles wasn't here to see her struggling, Charlotte slowly crawled out of bed to get dressed, stretching her muscles along the way. Being with Vane made her incredibly happy and despite the muscle pain she couldn't stop smiling. In the back of her mind she knew that everything was tentative and temporary with him, but she had decided to take one day at a time and just enjoy the moment.

She made it out of the cabin a few minutes later, dressed in Charles' oversized clothes with her hair braided down her back. She made her way to the galley where she grabbed a couple oranges from a barrel, then headed up on deck. She found a seat out of the way where she could watch most of the deck and see over the railing to the ocean. This time of day out at sea was stunning. The sun was just beginning to rise above the horizon casting a pink and golden hue across the sky, contrasting the deep blue of the ocean.

Charlotte couldn't help but smile into the warm breeze as she leaned back against a box and crossed her legs. Since Charles was sailing with a full crew, there really wasn't much for her to do, but not one to sit still, Charlotte saw one of the men swabbing the deck and decided to help. Throwing her empty orange peels overboard, she approached the man offering her help. "Need an extra hand?" she said noticing the extra mop propped against the stairs. The man startled, but then smiled, "I wouldn't mind the company." Charlotte grabbed the mop and fell into step alongside him.

The man was an older sailor and so as they worked Charlotte got him to open up about his experiences. They finished around mid-morning and to Charlotte the time had actually flown. After putting away the supplies, they turned only to find Captain Vane behind them leaning against the door frame. The man quickly excused himself sliding behind the captain and up the stairs. Charlotte however stood still, just taking in the sight of him. It was ridiculous how good he looked with his hair half up, the collar of his shirt open wide across his tanned chest and his sleeves rolled up his muscled forearms.

Charles must have seen how turned on she was getting because he slowly eased off the door frame and started towards her. When his body was flush with hers he walked her backwards into a dark corner, one of his hands on her hip and the other on the side of her face, his thumb rubbing across the corner of her lip that she was biting. Charles spoke, "I thought that leaving you in the cabin would keep me from thinking about you, but all I thought about was you naked in my bed. Then you came out on deck and began working and I thought about the same thing."

Charlotte smiled, "Having trouble focusing, Captain?" Charles slid his hand to the back of her neck and gripped her hair forcing her head back, "No, I'm focusing just fine. Just not on work." His mouth came down on hers and just like every time, everything else around them disappeared. Charlotte wasn't sure how long they'd been there when she heard someone clear their throat. It took the person twice before Charles broke the kiss, leaving Charlotte clinging to his arms. It was Anne this time and when Charles turned his head she spoke, "The bos'n wants to speak with you." Charles nodded then turned back to Charlotte kissing her hard before leaving her and Anne.

Anne was about to follow Charles when Charlotte asked her to wait. "I wanted to ask you a favor," Charlotte started. When Anne continued to stare at her, Charlotte said, "Before we left the island, Billy was helping me learn how to use a sword. I know you are probably busy, but could you teach me?" Anne nodded, "I'm free everyday mid-afternoon. Meet me on the poop deck and I'll help you."

/

To pass the time, Charlotte found Ian sitting up on deck as she had been earlier. Taking a seat beside him she asked, "I'm sorry I haven't been around much." When all she got in response was a grunt Charlotte turned to really study Ian. On the exterior he appeared calm, but she noticed how tense his shoulders were and how instead of relaxing against her like usual, he looked as if he couldn't get far enough away. "I apologize if you don't agree with the choices I've made Ian. I'm only doing the best I can and I want you to know I'm really happy right now. I understand if this isn't the life you pictured and I hope you know when we go back to England you can go home," as she spoke she could actually see Ian getting angrier and she slowly stopped talking.

"Ian, what is wrong?" she started to put her hand on his shoulder, but he exploded up off the deck shouting at her, "Play the pirate slut if you want, but stop apologizing to me like you actually care!" Charlotte sat still, her mouth hanging open in shock as she watched Ian storm off.

She and Ian had fought many times over the years, but he had never been so callous in what he said. As the shock of his anger wore off, Charlotte realized the words had really stung. Ian was like a brother to her and she truly cared about what he thought. She knew she was behaving outside the bounds of normal, but was she hurting him in the process? A shadow fell over her as she sat thinking and she looked up into Charles face as he asked, "What the hell was that?"

Charlotte shook her head, "I have no idea. I came over to tell him I was sorry for ignoring him the past few days and dragging him into all this. I told him that I understood if he wanted to go home and that's when he shouted…" Charles cut her off, waving his hand as he said, "I heard what he shouted. So did half the crew." Charlotte noticed the crew closest to her were glaring daggers at the way Ian had gone and she quickly asked, "Please tell them not to do anything. Ian didn't mean anything by it. I'm sure he's just tired and homesick."

Charles knelt down so that he could look her in the eye when he said, "Charlotte, no man says what he just did to you without jealousy being the cause. Whatever understanding you think you had with him is false hope on your part. That being said, he will never talk to you that way again." As Vane stood up, Charlotte reached for his hand and got a slight squeeze from his fingertips before he stalked off toward Ian. Charlotte watched him until he went below and then she sat contemplating her relationship with Ian.

/

Charles found Ian in the cargo hold, alternating between pacing and punching a bale of cotton. Vane leaned against a wall trying to control his temper for Charlotte's sake and waited for Ian to notice him. When he did, Charles didn't get a chance to say anything to him as Ian came barreling toward him. Ian's first swing missed and Charles countered with a blow to his ribs, but that didn't keep Ian down for long. They were evenly matched despite Ian's size advantage because Vane made up for it with speed and power.

The fight didn't last more than five minutes with Vane knocking Ian to the ground with a left hook. Towering over Ian, Charles said, "Don't ever talk to her like that again. She made her choice and it's your responsibility to accept it like a man." Ian nodded, but still said, "You don't deserve her. You're a criminal and you're going to break her heart because you can't give her what she deserves." Even though Charles agreed he still wanted to hear Ian's reasoning, "And what makes you think that?" Ian pushed himself off the floor as he answered, "Because she deserves your heart and yours…is dead." Charles response left Ian out cold on the floor.

/

When Charles came back on deck he saw Charlotte was still in the same place, but instead of approaching her he went to his cabin. He could smell her unique sent of jasmine and honeysuckle and see the small touches of her such as the bed being made and his desk chair tucked in, and he realized that in a short period of time she had made herself a part of his life. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he approached the washstand to clean off the blood. A knock sounded on the door and when he called for whoever to come in, Anne stepped inside.

In typical Anne fashion, she cut right to the point, "I hope you fucked him up good for saying that about her." When he didn't answer, she asked, "What did he say to you?" For a brief moment, Charles thought about telling her, but quickly shook off the feeling, "Nothing. He's out cold on the floor in the hold." Slapping the towel he had been drying with back down on the stand, he walked toward the door and Anne. "She wants me to finish teaching her how to fight with a sword like Billy was," Anne said as he stopped across from her. "So that's where the cut on her cheek came from," he mused. "Teach her everything you know Anne," he said as he opened the door to the cabin. Anne nodded as she followed him out

When she saw Charlotte waiting for her, Anne motioned for her to go ahead to the spot they had designated. Before she left him, Anne said, "She's different you know." Charles didn't reply as he walked off, but Anne knew he was thinking. Making her way up to where Charlotte was waiting, she told her, "Show me what he taught you. Then I'll teach you how to do it better." Charlotte smiled and began working her way through the footwork.

/

The rest of the voyage to England was peaceful in that Charlotte fell into a routine. During the day, she spent her mornings helping out any crewmember who needed it and then in the afternoons she practiced with Anne. Her nights were completely Charles's and she could never get enough. Every morning when the sun rose on her alone in bed the happiness she felt the night before would fade a little, knowing that one day he wouldn't just be beyond the door, but beyond her reach.

/

Even though they had disguised the Ranger, they landed in Portsmouth since the harbor there wasn't watched as closely at the one in London. The plan was to dock in Portsmouth and then travel in to the London townhouse that Charlotte's father owned. The carriage ride took a full day and was uneventful even though it was packed tight with Anne, Jack, Ian, Charlotte, and Charles.

When the townhouse came in to view, Charlotte sighed in relief. Pressed against Charles was fine enough, but her legs were dying to stretch out. Before they disembarked, Charlotte reminded them all, "You are all friends of mine from the country. If you want your thin disguises to hold then watch your language and follow my lead. The last thing we need is you all being thrown in to Newgate, since you refused to stay on board." Luckily, the street was all but deserted when they stepped out and Charlotte hurried to the front door, but found it locked. When she whispered, "Thank God," Anne asked, "How is this good?!" Charlotte smiled back at her as she knocked loudly on the door, "It means my father has decided to stay in the country for the season."

The door was opened by a tall butler who glared down his nose at the visitors until he saw who it was, "Lady Charlotte! Your father wrote us saying you would be staying in the country." The butler held the door opened wide as they all hurried inside. "I'm sorry for the lack of notice William, but it was a rash decision. Forgive the way we look. Our carriage took a terrible fall ruining all our clothes," Charlotte explained, but she could tell by the look on his face the old butler wasn't buying it. However, he was a proper English butler and so he said, "Of course my lady. Your wardrobe is in your room and I am sure we can find something serviceable for your guests until the tailor can be called in the morning." Charlotte nodded, "Thank you William. You are impeccable as always."

Bending at the waist the butler replied, "At your service my lady. I will wake Mrs. Clover to fix you some tea and refreshments. Would you like to stay as a group in the parlor or have it brought to your rooms?" Charlotte answered, "The parlor will be fine and please don't let us keep you up. I can show my friends to their rooms when we are finished." Charlotte could tell the butler wanted to argue, but decorum kept him silent, "As you wish. I will have the footmen freshen the rooms before I retire." Charlotte thanked him and then led the group in to the parlor. Ian was the first to speak, as the other three appeared a little dazed at the opulence around them. "I forgot how stuffy English society is, Char. How'd you ever survive?" Ian said flopping on to a delicate French chair covered in satin. Charlotte chuckled, "By spending as much of it outdoors as I could. This house and the country estate are all done in his tastes any way. I always hated the look." She sat down on another delicate chair and then noticed that Anne, Jack, and Charles were still standing mostly in the doorway.

"If you three don't relax, the servants are going to know without a doubt you aren't gentry," Charlotte told them. Anne and Jack took seats even though they still looked uncomfortable, but Charles prowled the edges of the room. Charlotte could feel him already pulling away from her and for the time being she gave him his space, knowing that this wasn't comfortable for him. If he still was cold during the return trip to Nassau, she would confront him. Tea, sandwiches, and biscuits soon arrived and were gone equally as fast.

No one spoke as they ate and then climbed the steps to the guest rooms.

Stopping on the first landing Charlotte motioned to the four doors on the right side of the hall. "These are all the same so you can choose whichever you want. My door is the last door on the left. The house is usually awake by five and breakfast will be ready around nine. I'll see you all in the morning, goodnight," she said turning towards her own room. She desperately wanted to lead Charles to her room or have him grab her and take her to his, but nothing happened except a chorus of goodnights and then doors closing. When Charlotte reached hers, she looked back down the hall to see all the doors were shut.

Entering her room, Charlotte closed her door and then leaned her forehead against the solid wood. Banging her head slightly against the door, she argued with herself about going to Charles. After a moment, she decided that it was ridiculous not to talk to him about what was going on and so she opened the door and marched across the hall. Not bothering to knock, she opened the door and quickly went inside. There was a single candle on the nightstand that was lit, but the rest of the room was in shadow. It took Charlotte a moment to see Charles sitting with his head in his hands next to the cold fireplace.

"We need to talk," she said and she noticed he jumped a little, startled by her voice. "Not tonight," was all he replied as he stayed seated, looking at her from across the room. Charlotte shook her head as she walked to him, "No, now. Before whatever you are thinking gets out of control." Charles stood up from the chair and paced the edge of the room away from her, "You don't know what I'm thinking." Charlotte sighed, her shoulders drooping, "You're right. I don't know for sure, but you've been getting quieter ever since we left the ship and you look so uncomfortable right now you could jump out of your skin. Will you please tell me?"

Charles shook his head as he continued to pace. He started to speak several times, but stopped before saying anything. Charlotte figured she'd make one last attempt before backing off, "Knowing my background and actually seeing it for yourself is quite different. I realize you aren't accustomed to this and I think that you are wondering why I would leave and take up piracy. I've told you the main reason I fled, but maybe I should tell you the rest." Charles stopped pacing, but remained far from her. Charlotte took a seat on the edge of the bed and explained, "No matter how it appears to you, I am as uncomfortable here as you. I've never fit in to this lifestyle, I only learned how to operate in it without too many problems. Charles I'm twenty-four years old and for this society that means there is something wrong with me even though I've turned down more marriage proposals than I can count. People see me as odd and to be honest, I've done nothing to dissuade that opinion. I love riding, hunting, shooting, sailing, swimming and everything that a lady shouldn't. I've been miserable in this house since before I can remember. I have never felt more alive than when we fought that Spanish merchant."

Charlotte shook her head and chuckled, "I think I was born a pirate at heart, but until I met you I had no idea how much I would love it. You don't have to believe me and I know your still suspicious of me despite the past few weeks, but I want you to know that I am never coming back to this house or life, no matter what happens between us. The sea is my home now."

When she finished her speech, she stood up from the bed and walked towards the door when Charles spoke, "Do you really mean that?" Charlotte became a little irritated at the question and snapped, "I have never given you a reason to distrust me Captain Vane. Not a single reason. Whatever it is that is making you doubt me, perhaps you ought to ask yourself." Charlotte opened the door to leave, when his hand appeared in front of her face on the door pushing it shut.

"Stay," was all he said. Charlotte turned to face him and for a moment had a hard time convincing herself to say, "Not until you stop comparing me to her." Charles eyes widened a little as Charlotte continued, "I don't know the whole story, but I know enough that she changed the way you see women and I want to know that when you look at me, you don't see her. I don't care how long this lasts between us whether you decide it's a day, a year, or more, but I have to have your respect and trust, because I respect and trust you." This time when Charlotte opened the door, he didn't stop her and she knew she had him at least considering her words.

/

Charlotte slept terribly, hoping that she hadn't pushed Charles too far last night. She worried that he would take her day, year, or more comment literally and call an end to the affair. She hoped not, as she wanted it to continue indefinitely, but she also meant what she said the night before. A maid entered her room at eight-thirty and she was glad for the distraction of dressing for the day. The lavender colored day dress she put on complemented her slightly tanned skin and Charlotte knew that people would be talking about her complexion at the ball. There was no way to disguise the unladylike color of her skin and she hoped that it didn't bring up uncomfortable questions.

The maid fixed her hair in a style half up and when she was finished, Charlotte looked at herself in the mirror. She hadn't lied to Charles, she hated this lifestyle and she couldn't wait to get back on the ship and out to see, but she complemented the maid on her skills and quickly walked downstairs to breakfast. Everyone else was already in the breakfast room when Charlotte entered and Ian spoke, "There you are. Thought you might have fallen into that mattress and gotten stuck in the softness." Charlotte smiled, "Good morning to you as well and my apologies for giving you a comfortable bed." Ian shook out the paper he was reading as he said, "You should apologize." Charlotte laughed, went to the sideboard, grabbing a plate and filled it with scrambled eggs, toast and bacon. As she sat down in her usual spot, the butler brought her a cup and poured her coffee. Charlotte inhaled deeply, having missed coffee the most. She could drink it by the gallons and had only had the occasional cup back at the camp on the island.

Charlotte noticed Anne and this point and spoke, "I'm sorry I don't have anything more your size." Anne scowled, "I can't wait to be back in my own clothes." Charlotte smiled and started to agree when the butler came in and presented her with a note.

She briefly skimmed the missive after thanking William and then set about eating her breakfast. She was taking a bite of toast when Ian spoke up, "Well? What does it say?" Charlotte looked up as she swallowed and noticed them all staring at her. Wiping her mouth with a napkin she said, "It was from the seamstress saying that she would be here at eleven o'clock." Ian nodded, "So when does the tailor get here for the men?" Charlotte's eyebrows rose as she asked, "Why would you need a tailor?" Ian looked equally incredulous, "We can't exactly show up at the ball dressed like this. I think that might just make the matrons faint."

Charlotte shook her head forcefully, "None of you are going to the ball." Charles spoke up then, "The hell we aren't." Charlotte turned to look at him a few chairs down on her right, "Are you kidding me? Three of the most notorious pirates in the Caribbean and you want to walk in to the Admiral's ball full of naval officers? Seriously, have you all lost your minds? You'll stay here where no one will be tempted to hang you or shoot you on sight." Charles looked her straight in the eye, "We're going with you. So, you can either find the right clothing or we can go exactly like this."

Charlotte stood up, slapping her napkin down on the table, "If you insist, Captain." Quickly walking out of the room before she burst in to tears, Charlotte made her way to the library to send a note to the tailor. It terrified her to think that people she had grown close to might not live to see another day because of some stupid decision, but she knew if she didn't cooperate, Vane would do exactly as he said and definitely get himself caught. Sending the note with a footman, Charlotte looked around the familiar library that had been her sanctuary in the city when she couldn't go outside. Reading had been her saving grace and she took one of her favorite plays off the shelf by the window seat, and sitting down, she opened the book, letting herself get lost in the words of Moliere and his play, The Misanthrope.

Charles found her curled in the sun on the window seat, the book open on her lap as she slept. He could see the dark circles under her eyes from across the room and knew she hadn't slept just like he hadn't. Charles shut the door behind him and locked it so that no one could interrupt them. He should let her sleep, but the words she had spoken last night had weighed heavily on him. For the hundredth time since she had left his room last night, he cursed Eleanor and himself. Himself for being a softheaded, gullible fool where she was concerned and her, for being the cold-hearted, manipulative bitch she was. Feeling the anger rise up inside, he took a deep breath to calm down. Charlotte was right. She didn't deserve how he treated her and as he stood over her watching her chest gently rise and fall in peaceful sleep he realized how lucky he was to have had her even for a moment.

Charlotte hadn't meant to doze off, but the combination of warm sun and comfortable pillows had lulled her to sleep. Waking with a start, she almost fell off the bench, but strong arms caught her before she could hit the floor. Her face pressed into a solid chest, she took a deep breath and his scent relaxed her all over. Tipping her face up to Charles, she was thrilled when his mouth met hers in a slow, thorough kiss. After a few moments they broke apart, Charlotte still clinging to his arms when she spoke, "I thought perhaps I'd gone too far in what I'd said."

Charles shook his head, sitting down and drawing her with him, "You were right. You deserve better than that and I'm sorry." Charlotte laid her head on his shoulder, "I know I'm right." She felt his shoulders shake as he laughed. "I'm also right that you four shouldn't be attending this ball," Charlotte said. Charles didn't say anything for a moment, then, "I know it's a risk, but I won't let you go in there alone." Charlotte lifted her head, "Nothing will happen to me. He's my godfather." Charles looked at her, "And what about Anderson? What if he is there?"

Charlotte swallowed, "We'll be in public, so there isn't much he could do." Charles shook his head, "I can't take that risk with you. I highly doubt anyone will be expecting pirates to walk in to a ball in London, so I think we will be safe enough. Besides, after the ball we will head straight for the Ranger and be gone before they know what happened." Charlotte grabbed his hands, "So I can't talk you out of this?" Charles squeezed her hands slightly, "No."

Sighing Charlotte nodded, "All right, but don't make me shoot you down from any more nooses." Charles smiled, "I have no intention of trying that experiment again even though your shooting is impeccable." Charlotte kissed him and they soon got lost in each other until a loud knock sounded on the door, "Lady Charlotte, the seamstress is here. Would you like me to show her to your room?" Breaking the kiss, Charlotte pecked Vane on the lips and said, "I'll see you this afternoon." Leaving him sitting in the window, Charlotte opened the door and led the seamstress upstairs.


	7. Misunderstandings

AN: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited my story! Knowing you guys enjoy it keeps me inspired! That being said, thank you to the Guest reviewer who suggested I show a few of Charlotte's flaws. This suggestion helped me get over a little bit of writer's block with this next chapter! Hope you all keep enjoying!

/

Charlotte was nervous as she began dressing for the ball. No matter how she had argued against the idea for the past few days, they had all refused to stay at the townhouse tonight. She had no idea how Ian, Jack, Anne, and Charles were going to make it through an entire evening without being discovered. The thought of it made her absolutely ill, and so she tried not to think of the impending doom hanging above her head.

When the maid was finished styling her hair, piling curls on top while letting one ringlet fall to her left shoulder, she helped Charlotte into the ball gown. As soon as the maid began tightening the strings on the corset, Charlotte recalled just how painful the device was and would have cursed had there been enough air left in her lungs. Once the undergarments were properly in place and squeezing the life out of her, the maid helped her step into the royal purple gown.

When Charlotte had commissioned the dress, the seamstress had insisted that the color was entirely inappropriate for a woman her age and that it wasn't fashionable, but Charlotte had won the argument by compromising on an ivory lace overdress that let the purple show through while maintaining a nod towards societies rules of pastel for single women. The sleeves for the dress were long and the collar came up high on her neck even though the front of the gown was cut so low, Charlotte was sure if she breathed she would explode out of the top. A simple amethyst pendant rested between her breasts and Charlotte nodded at her reflection. When she stepped out on to the landing she saw Anne waiting at the top of the steps twisting her hands together.

"You look fantastic," Charlotte told her as she approached. Anne jumped and cringed, "How do you survive in this torture device? I can't breathe," Anne said as she twisted her torso around trying to get comfortable. Charlotte laughed a little bitter, "You aren't supposed to do anything, but look pretty like any other decoration. I'm convinced they strangle the breath from you so that you can't speak." Charlotte couldn't help, but remind her, "Remember, you are the one who insisted on going." Anne glared daggers at her before stomping down the stairs, mumbling about idiotic fashion, but Charlotte had a feeling Anne liked the way she looked and that was what was irritating her more.

Charlotte hadn't lied to Anne when she told her she looked wonderful. The seamstress had a mint colored dress ready except for some finishing touches and with Anne's red hair cleaned and styled similar to Charlotte's. she looked stunning. Not a moment later, she heard Jack telling Anne the same thing and she smiled at the shocked tone in his voice. Realizing she was standing on the landing like a fool, Charlotte walked down the stairs to join them. Jack was the first to see her and his reaction had Charles standing up straight from where he was leaning against the railing to turn and get a full look.

When he turned towards her, Charlotte couldn't look away. Both he and Jack had foregone the traditional powdered wig and had left their hair natural, but pulled back with a ribbon. Charles had on tan breeches covered almost entirely by the rich, grey waistcoat that brought out the stormy color of his eyes. The navy coat he wore over had gold buttons and the cuffs on the sleeves had gold thread sewn in an elaborate pattern. She knew that the fashion of carrying a sword helped ease any concerns Charles had about tonight. As long as he and Jack could fight then they could handle anything. He was ridiculously good looking in the formal attire and even though Charlotte appreciated the look, she preferred him in an open shirt, his hair down, working on his ship.

When she put her hand in his, he said, "You look unbelievable." Charlotte blushed, "So do you." Just then, the carriage arrived and the butler held the door for them as they filed out into the night. The ride was a short one, as the Admiral didn't live far. Outside the ball, the street was packed with carriages and people and Charlotte could tell that the crowds were making the others in her party uncomfortable. As they stepped out into the crowd, people began to greet Charlotte and she fell back on her old routine, calling back greetings automatically.

Once they made it inside, Charlotte began trying to find the Admiral, which really wasn't that hard to do since he was impossibly tall. Sir Stafford Fairborne towered over those around him at six feet four inches and when he saw his goddaughter his face lit up. Making her way through the crowd, she was scooped up and hugged tight by the Admiral. "I thought you weren't going to make it this year. Your father sent word that you were ill," Fairborne said as he sat her back down. Even at five feet eight inches, which was tall for most women, Charlotte had to lean her head back to look at her godfather, "I wouldn't miss seeing you! It seems as if we go longer and longer without seeing each other every year."

Fairborne nodded, "I know, my dear. How do you like the horse I sent? I was told he was the finest one available." Charlotte beamed, "Absolutely fantastic! You know you shouldn't have, but he is incredible." The Admiral squeezed her hands in his and Charles could see that he completely doted on Charlotte. Fairborne seemed to notice the rest of Charlotte's party and turned to face them. For a brief terrifying moment, Charlotte thought the Admiral recognized them, but the look passed from his face and he smiled. "Admiral, I'd like to introduce William, James, and Abigail.

As everyone provided the customary bows and curtsies, Charlotte watched them all, looking for any signs that something might go wrong. Satisfied they had all passed inspection, Charlotte began her questioning of the Admiral.

"So, I read in the paper that the annexation of Nassau hasn't gone as planned. The paper was vague, but do you know what happened," Charlotte asked looking directly at Fairborne. He looked down at her for a moment before saying, "Governor Rogers it seems, has fallen ill, and during his recovery time the criminal he insisted on taking with him has begun running the island again. This Guthrie woman tried to hang the pirate Charles Vane, but was thwarted by rebels on the island who, according to the tales, was cut down from the noose by a musket shot."

Charlotte gave the Admiral the appropriate reaction, bringing her hand to her chest, "My word! What a tale. Is any of it true?" Fairborne continued, "Most of it is. Of course, you must allow some room for embellishment, but I was given the report from soldier who was there." Charlotte nodded, "What do you intend to do? Has the governor asked for assistance?" Fairborne answered, "He has asked for assistance, but the crown refuses to aid him. He was told when he left that what he sailed with was all he would get. The crown isn't interested in Nassau at this time. Its interests lie in opposing the French and Spanish in the American colonies and the new Russian regime rise. It can't be bothered to worry about a few pirates in the Caribbean."

Charlotte held in her sigh of relief. That meant that if they could defeat Rogers that would be the end of English occupation for the time being. Just then, the Admiral was called away, leaving the group alone to talk. Jack was the first, saying, "We need to confirm what our dear admiral just said. Once we do that, we can leave before we are found out. I could have sworn he recognized us." Anne nodded as Charles said, "I agree with Jack. Once we confirm this we need to leave." Charlotte shook her head, "If we keep asking questions, he will get suspicious. I think we've pushed our luck enough."

Charles argued, "If we go back without actual evidence and England sends its navy, we will never survive." Charlotte made sure she looked as if she were smiling as she hissed, "I didn't say we wouldn't get evidence. Let me go to his office and see if I can't find any correspondence stating England's noninvolvement. The Admiral said he got a first-hand account of your…Vane's hanging. Some type of correspondence must have been had between Fairborne and the crown."

"I'll go with you," Charles said, but Charlotte waved her hand dismissing him. "No, I'll go alone. If I'm found no one will be suspicious. If we are found together, the Admiral won't let you leave this house alive no matter who you are," Charlotte said. Charles grew a little angry at her dismissal of him with a simple wave of her hand, but let it go for the moment, knowing her logic was right. Charlotte continued, "I'll start heading that way now. If you don't want to dance, I suggest staying out of the ballroom which is just one more door down the hall. Everywhere else should be safe. His office is on the second floor and I shouldn't be gone too long. I'll find you when I have what we need.

Charlotte didn't wait for them to agree and set off through the crowd, not knowing that Charles followed her from a distance. As Charlotte stopped to talk to a few different people, a woman approached Charles smelling of heavy perfume. "I don't believe we have met," she said with heavy eyes. If the woman hadn't been in a townhouse in London, Charles wouldn't have been able to tell her from any other prostitute, but, knowing she had to be someone important Charles bowed and took her hand saying, "I don't believe we have. William, at your service." The woman's high pitched giggle made Charles want to shudder, but he smiled instead. The woman clung to his arm like she had known him forever, "Lady Elizabeth. If you aren't busy, I was wondering if you might help me with something."

Charles replied, "I must apologize as I am on my way to check on a friend. Perhaps later?" As Lady Elizabeth, pursed her painted lips in a fake pout, Charles again wondered at the falseness of England. If someone wanted to fuck on Nassau they didn't go through this whole fake conversation about nothing. It just proved to him that the English were no better than anyone else, they just lied to themselves. Extracting himself from her claw-like grip, Charles walked away from the cloud of perfume and searched for Charlotte. After searching the main floor for what felt like an hour, Charles took the stairs to the second floor. He didn't know Lady Elizabeth was following him until just as he saw Charlotte coming out of the servant's entrance at the back of the hall. As she looked right and left out of the doorway, Lady Elizabeth whispered in Charles ear, "I thought you'd never slip away from the crowd downstairs."

His first instinct was to turn and hit whoever had snuck up on him, but when he turned to see her he grabbed her instead and pulled her into a dark corner. "Lady Elizabeth, you need to go back downstairs," Charles started, but she pushed herself against him and pouted once more, "You aren't going to send me away are you?" Seeing Charlotte slowly walking down the hall Charles did the only thing he could to keep Elizabeth facing him. Bringing his mouth down on hers, he kissed her exactly like she had been wanting. Charles had kissed many women over the years, but this one had to be the absolute worst. He hoped Charlotte found the room she was looking for quickly so that he could end this nightmare.

When he opened his eyes again, the hall was empty and he quickly broke the kiss. Elizabeth rubbed herself against him and Charles pushed her back, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. We need to go back downstairs." Not giving her any time to reply, he took her hand and drug her behind him. The situation was made worse when he met the Admiral on the stairs. "I was hoping to speak to you alone," Fairborne said. Lady Elizabeth excused herself and Charles nodded to the Admiral. Following Fairborne back upstairs, he hoped that they didn't enter the same room where Charlotte was.

/

Charlotte snuck out into the dark hallway, thinking that her plan so far was going marvelously. No one had been identified, she had a verbal confirmation that England was staying out of Nassau and now all she had to do was make it a few doors down to find written proof so that she could get back out to sea with Charles. Someone moaning had Charlotte flattening herself against the wall as she searched the hall. When she found the culprit, her heart shattered in her chest.

There, at the end of the hall, was Charles with a woman draped across him. For a moment, Charlotte couldn't breathe as her world crumbled around her. Christ, she had to be the biggest fool on the planet. She had told herself at the beginning, not to expect a commitment from him, that he wasn't the type, but somewhere along the way she must have forgotten and now this brutal reminder slapped her in the face. Opening the door closest to her, she hurried inside as she burst in to tears.

She hated crying, but the heart-wrenching sobs that came out couldn't be held back. Her body shook as she hugged herself sliding to the floor against the door. How could he do this to her? The least he could have done was end things between them before he bedded someone else. Charlotte wasn't sure how long she sat on the floor in the dark room before she became aware that she had stopped crying. The ache hadn't lessened, but it seemed as if her eyes had dehydrated themselves and couldn't produce another drop of moisture.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly pulled herself up off the floor and realized that she had at least entered the correct room. She had only been in the Admiral's office once before when she was a little girl, but she recognized the desk that was in the same place by the window. As she searched, she briefly thought about abandoning the whole idea, letting Charles worry about Nassau. She could travel someplace else and start over, again, but she quickly let that go as she thought about Anne, Jack, Billy, and all the other friends she had made that called Nassau home. She couldn't abandon them no matter how disloyal Charles was. As she searched the desk, she cursed herself for being such a soft-hearted fool. She had told him she respected and trusted him and he had thrown those words back in her face in less than a week. He had to be laughing at her right now as he did as he please.

She opened a letter box and found the evidence she needed, a letter from the crown stating that the Admiral was to focus his attention on the American colonies and to abandon any attempts at help for Governor Rogers. Her first thought was to run to Charles to tell him the good news, which was quickly followed by rage as the picture of him kissing that woman came to the forefront of her mind. Anger surged up in her as she grabbed the letter box to put it back, only to have the one person in the world she hated at the moment, crack the door and call her name.

/

When Charles followed the Admiral into a well-lit room that appeared to be a library, he quickly looked around and breathed a sigh of relief that Charlotte was nowhere in sight. That relief was soon banished when the Admiral poured a glass of scotch and then turned directly to him saying, "I know exactly who you and your friends are, Charles Vane." Vane went deathly still, resting his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

The Admiral's eyebrows rose slightly before he took a sip, "You won't be needing that. At least not right now. What I want to know is why my goddaughter is bringing you to my home under false pretenses, and how she met you in the first place." Charles didn't relax as he said, "She saved me." Fairborne nodded, "I thought that was her from the description I received, but what was she doing in Nassau?" Charles answered, "She ran from an arranged marriage her father set up." Charles watched as the Admiral stiffened and his eyebrows furrowed into a scowl. "Damnit, who did he arrange this with," he asked, hoping Charles knew. "Lucien Anderson," was all Charles said before the glass shattered in the Admiral's hand. "That son of a bitch," said Fairborne as he took out a handkerchief, dabbing at the alcohol and blood.

He continued, "So she fled to Nassau and saved you from the noose. Charlotte has more adventure in her than her mother or I ever had." As he said it, Charles watched Fairborne as his face showed a degree of shock at sharing that news. "She's your daughter," Charles asked slowly. After a moment, Fairborne nodded, "But that does not leave this room. Her mother and I were the only ones to know, and now, so do you." Charles stood still for a moment until his anger at the man, overrode his tongue, "So if she is your daughter, why haven't you protected her from that man she calls father!"

Fairborne stood up, "I would have claimed her if it wouldn't have destroyed her! I loved her mother and I love Charlotte which is why she has stayed with Sommerfield. Her mother begged me to let her live a titled life that was secure and I have kept my promise." Charles shook his head, "So you let her be beaten and almost sold to a man who would kill her?" At this, the Admiral looked confused, "Beaten, by whom?" Charles growled, "Her father. You didn't know?" Fairborne looked stunned, "Good Lord, no. She never said anything."

Charles laughed, derision in his voice, "Of course she wouldn't. She's not one to complain." Fairborne looked hard at Charles then, "You care for her, don't you?" Charles head snapped up, looking the man in the eye and for a moment he didn't answer. Fairborne nodded his own confirmation, "Of course you do. You're here in the middle of London to make sure she is safe as she tries to pry naval information from me." The Admiral laughed, "Charlotte always thought she could lie, but the truth was always on her face." He stopped smiling, "And the truth is, she cares for you too. How on earth my daughter has fallen for a pirate is baffling, but I could see it on her face downstairs when she introduced you." Charles said nothing, but took a deep breath. It was one thing to be with Charlotte, it was another to have her father staring at you acknowledging she was.

"This is an absolute mess," Fairborne said. "For tonight, you and your compatriots are safe, but I want you out of England by morning. And you will leave Charlotte in London," At his final statement, Charles began shaking his head, but the Admiral waved his hand cutting off the protest. "She is not yours. She never should have left England in the first place and now that I know what is happening, I will protect her," Fairborne said with authority. Charles ground his teeth, but knew there was no point to arguing. He would find Charlotte and they would be gone before the Admiral knew. When Charles didn't argue, Fairborne nodded, "Good man. Now I suggest you go downstairs and collect your friends." As soon as Charles left the Admiral in the library, he hid in a room not far so that he could make sure Fairborne left before he searched for Charlotte.

Not long after, the Admiral walked back downstairs to the party and Charles began searching rooms. He had searched several when he stuck his head in the doorway whispering her name only to have a box shatter by his ear. He was able to identify Charlotte just before a letter opener came sailing his way, embedding itself not two inches from his head. Ducking inside the room he shut the door and yelled, "Jesus! Charlotte! Stop, it me!" When this only accelerated the objects being thrown, Charles dodged them and tried to grab her.

Charlotte was able to deflect his hands, as she ran to the other side of the desk, "Don't you fucking touch me!" Grabbing anything she could from the desk to throw, Charles stopped chasing her after one more lap around the desk. "What the hell is wrong with you?!," he shouted knocking objects out of the air. Charlotte was physically spent and placed her hands on the desk breathing hard, "Fuck you Charles! Nothing is wrong with me!" Charles, being both angry and confused shouted back, "Like hell there's not! Your running around like a madwoman throwing shit and cursing me!"

"Just get out and leave me alone!" Charlotte begged, about to cry again. Charles stood completely still, confused more than he ever had been in his life, "What happened?" Charlotte did begin to cry then and she sobbed out, "You! You fucking happened! It's all your fault!" Charles tried to come around the desk again, but Charlotte backed away. Sensing she wasn't going to explain any more he said, "You'll have to give me more than that for an explanation." Charlotte put her face in her hands, shaking her head back and forth, when she raised her face to him a few moments later he saw the tears pouring down her face and her red eyes that said she had to have been crying for hours.

Charlotte took a deep breath, "If you need more of an explanation to tell you why I am upset, then you've been kissing too many women, and I am done." Charles was so relieved he almost laughed, "That's what you are upset about?" He didn't get to say anything else as Charlotte shrieked, throwing a glass from the self behind her. "Charlotte! Stop! Let me explain!" he yelled ducking a vase. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say! I saw plenty!" she shouted grabbing a book. She tried to make a run for the door to get away, but Charles blocked her, "You'll listen to me whether you want to or not!"

Charlotte backed towards the balcony window and did something Charles didn't expect. "I won't. I don't care what you have to say. Your words mean nothing. You mean nothing," she spit out as she jumped over the balcony beyond his reach. Charles didn't know about the bushes below the window, but Charlotte did. Landing in them wasn't as soft as she had thought, as the branches stabbed her and caught on her dress, but it did keep her from breaking her neck. Clawing her way out of them, she didn't look back to see Charles fuming mad or the hurt in his eyes.


	8. Destruction

AN: Hey guys! Sorry it's taken me a little while on this chapter. I hope you enjoy as always! I'm going on vacation next week so there won't be an update for two weeks. L I promise to update as soon as I get back! Please let me know how you like the story so far! I love getting your feedback!

/

Charlotte made her way around the side of the house and found a footman on the front steps. After asking for the carriage, she crossed her arms trying to ward of the chill of the evening and the overwhelming sadness, knowing her brief interlude with Charles was over. She was so deep in thought that the hand on her shoulder nearly had her jumping out of her skin. When she turned and saw it was Fairborne, she all but collapsed in his open arms. Hot tears leaked down her cheeks as she buried her face in his chest.

Fairborne patted her back, "What has you so upset?" Charlotte shook her head unable and unwilling to share the details. Fairborne misread the situation, thinking that Vane had told Charlotte she would be staying and said, "You know staying in London is what is best. You don't belong with pirates Charlotte." Charlotte tensed all over, shoving her head back so that she could look her godfather in the face.

Seeing her confusion, he asked, "Vane hasn't spoken to you about this?" Hearing Charles' name on the Admirals' tongue, Charlotte took a few steps back, her body stiff and ready to flee. "You know who he is," she said cautiously, watching for any hint that this evening was going to end how she feared. The Admiral watched her as well and determined a few things for himself. "If he didn't tell you to stay, then he's done something else to cause your tears. For that alone, I should have him shot," he growled. Charlotte smiled a little at his defense of her. The Admiral had always been her champion, always supporting her need to be different than others in society, "So you aren't going to have him arrested?"

Fairborne shook his head, "I gave him and the others until tomorrow to leave England." The Admiral frowned when he saw her deep breath and sigh of relief, "I also gave the condition that you be left here in London. Vane explained about Anderson and I won't let that happen." Charlotte shook her head, "Even without the threat of marriage, I am going back with them." This caused the Admirals' eyebrows to raise, "What is going on Charlotte? You belong here, not with criminals."

Charlotte straightened her spine and defended the life she had come to love in such a short period of time, "They aren't just criminals. Before you argue with me, I know what they are capable of and have already seen it first hand, but they are more than that. They are people who want freedom. Freedom to live their lives and govern themselves without a government thousands of miles away telling them how to live. Above all, they are people who love the sea and I have discovered that I am one of them. So, I do belong with them. Having been on the sea, I don't know how I would live without it now."

The passion in her voice spoke volumes and for a moment, the Admiral just took it in before saying, "You are incredible." Charlotte started to smile, but Fairborne cut in, "But I cannot let you go back to certain death." Charlotte did smile then and took his hands, "Keeping me here is certain death. By letting me go, you are giving me a chance at a real life." Fairborne stared into her eyes and against everything he knew he said, "Charlotte, just be careful." At that, she flung her arms around her godfather, hugging him tight.

When they broke apart, he held her at arm's length, "Truly Charlotte, be careful." As she nodded, he continued, "Now get out of here before I change my mind or rather, find it again and lock you up somewhere safe." Charlotte smiled as she said, "I love you and I promise to be safe." As she turned, she saw the carriage had arrived and that Anne, Jack, and Charles were already seated inside.

Once she was seated by Anne and the carriage was on its way, she handed the letter to Jack, avoiding eye contact with Charles. The happiness at being let go by her godfather was quickly being replaced by the anger and hurt from earlier."I was able to find a letter stating England would not be coming to rescue our dear governor," she explained as Jack read through the contents. He smiled as he handed it off to Charles who didn't even look at it, but shoved it in an inner pocket of his jacket and continued to stare out the window. As always, Anne watched the body language of the people in the carriage and because the tension was so thick, even Jack picked up on the change. When they looked at each other they just shrugged, neither knowing what happened.

When they arrived at the house, they all split up each going to change and gather their few belongings. Before leaving earlier in the evening, they had agreed to leave for the Ranger as soon as they had evidence. When Charlotte opened her door, she found Ian waiting for her. "How did it go?" Charlotte answered as she found the clothing she would change into. Having the opportunity to buy clothing that actually fit and so that she would have more than just one pair of clean clothing, she had a few to choose from and she packed the rest in a bag. "The Admiral told us that England would not be coming to help the governor and I found a letter in his office to confirm it so it went well," she said not looking at Ian.

"That's good, because I'm not going back."

Charlotte's head snapped up. "You aren't? Why?", she asked, a little shocked. Ian shook his head, "You love that life, not me and it's clear you don't need me anyhow. You've protected yourself quite well without my help." Charlotte stood still as he explained. They had been friends for so long, she was going to miss him. "Besides you have Vane now and to be honest I can't be near that. Not yet," he said hanging his head. His jaw still sported the bruise that had knocked him out cold.

Charlotte didn't bother explaining what had happened earlier in the evening. Regardless of Charles, she was returning to Nassau and she didn't want the dramatics that would ensue if she told Ian about the kiss. "I'm going to miss you. We've been friends for as long as I can remember," she said walking over to where he stood by the door. Ian smiled, "We're always going to be friends, just on different continents." Charlotte stepped in close, hugging him. He returned it for just a moment before pushing her away, opening the door without another word.

Charlotte stared at the closed door for a while. In just a few short months, she had completely changed her life and despite her confident speech to her godfather, doubts began to creep up in her mind. She hadn't truly thought through all the consequences of her decisions since leaving England and the full weight of them now hit her. Anne found her half-changed, sitting in a chair staring out the window. "What gives," Anne asked as she leaned against the window frame in front of Charlotte. Charlotte took a moment to answer, watching the moon cast shadows on the ground. "What am I doing Anne," Charlotte looked directly at Anne as she asked this simple question with a complex meaning.

Anne shook her head, "It's a little late to be deciding, isn't it?" Charlotte took a deep breath, "I don't know." Anne watched her, then said, "I've found, there never is a moment in time where you know where you are going. Not really. Each moment is a new decision about the way you want to live. So, where do you want to go from here?" Without a hesitation Charlotte answered, "The sea." Anne smiled slightly as she pushed off the frame, "That was always my answer. Everything else don't matter when I'm out there."

Charlotte nodded, understanding what Anne meant. The weeks she had spent aboard a ship had been the best time of her life, even when it meant cleaning the head or scrubbing the deck. With the wind and sunshine in her hair and the waves beneath her feet she had felt whole. Knowing she was going back to the sea lifted her waning spirits and she stood up out of the chair to finish getting dressed.

She and Anne left the room a short time later with their bags across their shoulders. Jack was waiting for them at the open front door and Charlotte could see that Charles was already in the carriage. Jack watched as Charlotte's chin kicked up, her jaw clenching, and wondered just what had happened this evening. As Anne and Charlotte walked out the door Jack was holding he asked, "Where is Ian?" Charlotte answered as they continued down the steps, "He decided to go home."

When Charlotte stepped in to the carriage, she sat across from Charles because being close enough to touch him was just too much for her nerves although being across from him meant she had to look at him. Christ, her heart hurt. As she had been sitting in her room contemplating staying in England, her anger had faded to a dull burn, but the betrayal had her heart in tatters. Now that she had a chance to calm down, she almost asked him to explain what he had been trying to back in the office, but pride kept her from saying anything. She reminded herself that it didn't matter the reason or excuse he made up. Facts were facts, and she had caught him in the act. Despite that, concern still sprung up in her as she noticed the lacerations across his knuckles and she wondered what had happened. Charlotte rubbed at her temples in frustration, as Jack and Anne climbed in and they set off for the coast.

/

Charles was clenching his jaw so hard he thought his teeth might shatter from the pressure. His heart had attempted the leap that Charlotte had taken off the balcony except there was no shrubbery to catch it, and it fell into his stomach like so much lead. After running to the railing and seeing Charlotte still in one piece climbing out of the bushes, his anger returned full force. What the fuck was she thinking? She could have broken her neck, were the thoughts flying through his brain except as the fear receded he began thinking about her refusal to let him explain.

She had tried, sentenced and hanged him all in her mind without giving him a single chance to defend himself. Fuck, she was no better than Eleanor, assuming the worst of him. Turning away from the balcony and Charlotte's retreating back, Charles took his anger out on the balcony door punching his fist so hard into the frame that the glass panels shattered. From the moment he had found out who she was on the Walrus, Charles had known better than to get involved with her. When she had teased him that first night in Flint's cabin he had told her she was none of his business, and despite telling her that, his own head hadn't listened.

Instead, he had followed her like some obsessed fool. As blood dripped down his hand he cursed himself for knowing better. Well, he wouldn't make the same mistake again. He was done, and this time he would stick to his resolution of only bedding whores where he knew what their intentions were. Wrapping his hand in a handkerchief, he made his way down stairs to find Jack and Anne.

Luckily, they were standing at the bottom of the staircase waiting and without saying a word they fell into step behind him as he made his way to the front door. He was ready to leave Charlotte behind until he saw her on the front steps crying into the shoulder of her father. A wave of different emotions crashed over him all at once. Regret for kissing that woman, remorse for causing Charlotte's tears, anger at Charlotte for not letting him explain, and an ache in his chest that he refused to examine any further. Without missing a step, he strode past them straight to the waiting carriage. Maybe she would stay like the Admiral wanted and solve Charles' problems for him. Except, the thought of her staying made him angry as well.

When the three were inside, Charles was surprised that Jack didn't ask what was going on, but the surprise quickly faded. "Charles, would you mind explaining," Jack asked this, calmly, but Charles could feel his interest so he told him the truth. "She decided I was as bad as she had heard," he said this as he stared out the opposite window, looking out into the streets of London. He felt the unspoken conversation between Jack and Anne, and clenched his jaw once more to keep from shouting his rage.

Shortly after, Charlotte joined them in the carriage, they set off towards the townhouse. Charlotte spoke to Jack, telling him about the letter and as Jack handed it to him he shoved the piece of paper that had been the beginning of the end into a pocket. The rest of the ride was silent and when they reached their destination, they separated without a word. Once he made it to the room he had been using, Charles began stripping out of the fancy getup he had been forced to wear this evening.

Charlotte had provided them all new changes of clothing and despite this, Charles put the same clothing on as when he arrived. The thought of wearing something she had bought chaffed his pride raw and ratcheted his temper up another notch. Slinging open the door to the hall open he stopped dead in the doorway as he saw Ian open Charlotte's door and all manner of assumptions flooded his brain. Charles practically ran down the staircase and out into the carriage. What did he care if she fucked Ian after she had just been in his bed the night before?

She had already proved tonight that her words about loyalty and trust meant nothing to her. She was as temperamental and disloyal as that woman she hated being compared to. Charles slammed himself in to the seat and despite the ride being all night he never said a word.

/

Charlotte was exhausted as the sun rose over the horizon, but the sight of the Ranger out in the open water boosted her spirits. As they stepped into the rowboat, Charlotte understood fully what Anne had explained back in her room. Just the sight of the sea soothed her weary soul and Charlotte took a deep breath of salty air, feeling it cleanse her from the inside out. She was grateful to be leaving the shores of England once more. It had never done anything for her, but cause sorrow and she hoped this time she would never return.

Once they reached the Ranger, Charlotte followed Anne down to the mess deck to find a new place to sleep. She almost hoped that Charles would stop her, but he never looked her way and her resolve to forget him hardened. As she found the hammock she had been using before her disastrous interlude with the Captain, Charlotte felt the looks being passes between the crew. When she dropped her bag, she was stunned to find the man she had beaten, standing across from her.

For a moment, they stared at each other and Anne watched the interaction closely from her own hammock. Slowly, the man raised his hand and after a moment Charlotte took it in her own, acknowledging the apology and truce. The rest of the crew that had been frozen, began moving about again and some called a greeting to Charlotte. Charlotte returned the greetings and fell into an easy routine with the crew. Since she was still relatively new, she took up a position as a powder monkey and in the days following the ball, Charlotte was grateful to be busy and away from the Captain.

She had taken to calling Charles, Captain, even in her head trying to separate herself from the situation. She was kept busy by the maintenance required on the cannons and in her spare moments she continued her sword practice with Anne. During one practice session, a few days into the voyage, Jack came to watch as Anne called for a break. Anne had learned that Charlotte would keep going until she couldn't lift her arm anymore and so she had begun making Charlotte take a break after a half hour.

Collapsing down on a barrel, Charlotte smiled at Jack, "Hi Jack, come to beat me as bad as Anne?" Jack chuckled, taking off his tinted glasses, rubbing his eyes, "No. No, Anne is a much better teacher than I. No, I came to talk to you about what is going on between you and Charles." Jack watched as Charlotte's spine stiffened and she bit out, "Nothing. Not anymore." Jack shook his head, "See, I'm just not going to accept that for an answer. So, as quartermaster I demand an explanation."

Charlotte watched Jack for a moment and despite being annoyed at him for prying into a matter that still hurt like hell she was also grateful to talk to someone about it. "He betrayed my trust only a day after I told him I respected and trusted him." Jack shook his head, "Charles is a lot of things, but disloyal isn't one of them." Charlotte smiled painfully, "I thought so too until I walked in on his betrayal." At this Anne shifted her position on the railing, "What do you mean?"

Charlotte looked toward her and shrugged her shoulders, trying to dismiss the ache growing in her chest, "As I was trying to find the Admirals' office, I saw him wrapped around some woman in the hall and by the sounds coming from them they were oblivious to my presence." At this, Anne shot up from her leaning position and strode for the stairs, a snarl on her face. Jack and Charlotte immediately sprang up to stop her. "Anne, don't. It's none of our business," Jack said grabbing her arm. Anne shoved him off, "He don't have no right to treat her like that."

Charlotte stepped in now, "Anne, please. I appreciate your friendship, but Jack is right. This is between me and the Captain. He'll only be angry with you for getting involved." Despite Jack and Charlotte's protests, Anne continued, leaving them in her wake as she strode off to find Charles. Charlotte and Jack looked at each other as Charlotte said, "Jack stop her. I never would have said anything if I had known she would react like this." Jack shook his head, "She's decided you're her friend Charlotte. I could no more stop her now than I could the tide."

/

Anne found Charles in his cabin, drinking. He'd been doing that a lot since leaving England and now Anne knew why. Without knocking, saying hello, or asking for an explanation, Anne strode up to him and kicked over the chair he was leaning back in. Charles went flying backwards, the glass in his hand, shattering across the floor on impact. Without missing a beat, he rolled from his back onto his knees, sweeping his arm out to catch Anne at the knees and bring her down to his level.

It had been a long time since they had come to blows and somehow, he knew exactly what had started this. Charlotte was now coming between him and his crew and his anger spiked so hard he thought his head would explode. He took the anger out on his aggressor, slamming her into the floor. Unfortunately, the liquor was making him dizzy and the impact wasn't as hard as he intended. Anne recovered quickly, bringing her fist to connect right under Vane's right eye.

The fight continued back and forth until Charles' finally got the upper hand, pinning Anne to the floor.

"Enough!" He shouted, as she continued to struggle. Anne was nothing if not a fighter and Charles had a difficult time keeping her from hitting him again, "You're angry and I get that, but you are also wrong." Anne stilled a little, but stayed tense, "Which part am I wrong about? The fact that you tongue fucked some woman at that ball or the fact that when Charlotte caught you, you crushed her heart?" The venom with which she said this surprised Charles and he wondered how he had missed their growing friendship. Charles growled back, "I didn't do anything with that woman."

When Charles didn't explain further, Anne pressed, "So she just imagined you in that hall?" Charles shook his head, pushing himself off Anne and on to his ass, leaning against the desk. "I'm not explaining a fucking thing. Charlotte saw what she saw and she's made up her mind. If she wouldn't hear me out then, I'm not going to bother now." Anne pushed herself up, standing over Charles with her arms crossed in front of her. "If you hurt her unintentionally, don't you think it's you who needs to apologize," she asked.

Charles scowled, "I tried to right after. I won't do it again. If she can't follow through on trust then fuck her." Anne shook her head, "You're both fucked up." With that, Anne walked out of the cabin leaving Charles alone with his swelling eye and splitting headache.

/

Jack found Anne sitting on the edge of the railing, staring out over the open sea. As he leaned beside her he asked, "So, judging from your split lip, you got some answers from our Captain." When Anne didn't answer, Jack continued, "I didn't know you and Charlotte were such good friends." Anne scoffed, "We aren't that close." Jack's eyebrows rose, "Your demeanor suggests otherwise my dear."

Anne shrugged, "I respect her is all." Knowing Anne for as long as he had, Jack read in between the lines, "You see a little of yourself in her. That's why you defended her without knowing the full story." Anne looked at Jack, "How'd you know there was more?" Jack snorted, "In a fight over love there is always more to the story. So, did he explain?" Anne smirked, "Fuck no. All I got was a split lip and his insistence that he wasn't at fault and that she wouldn't let him apologize."

Jack's eyes really popped open at her answer, "He tried to apologize? Good Lord he does have it bad. In all the years I've known him, I've never heard the word cross his lips." After a moment of silence, he continued, "Well maybe the truth will come out…before they kill each other." Anne turned her head to see what Jack was looking at and she saw Charles by the helm staring down out Charlotte who was talking to a member of the crew. The glare that Vane was giving off should have produced a smoking hole in Charlotte, but she continued as if nothing was wrong. Anne answered, "I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."

/

Charles watched as Charlotte walked across the deck as if she had always been there, her steps rolling with the waves displaying a natural grace many sailors never mastered. When he saw her take the steps in to the hold, he followed her. He had noticed the looks he had been getting from the crew and the confrontation with Anne sealed his resolve. Despite wanting to avoid her at all cost, he would not let her destroy his crew from the inside.

The hold was empty of anyone else besides the two of them and Charles shut the door behind him. Charlotte didn't look up from whatever she was looking for as she said, "I told you I could get it myself John." When no answer came, she looked over her shoulder and froze, terror washing over her. Christ, she had forgotten how fierce he could be, which was silly really since she had seen him in battle, but heaven help her she couldn't move under the glare he was giving her now.

He slowly stalked up to her and she remained crouching, muscles tense, ready to flee past him if she got the chance. It never came as he reached down, grabbing her by the throat with one arm and held her suspended just far enough that she struggled to breath. Her hands clutched his fist out of instinct, clawing at his grip as she tried to twist loose. He brought her face close to his as he made his threat clear, "I don't give a fuck what happened between us, but if you ever come between me and my crew I'll have you flogged then keel-hauled before dumping your corpse at sea." Charlotte's eyes bugged out a little farther, if that was possible, and she struggled to speak. Charles cut her off, "All I need is your nod. Anything else out of your mouth is worthless."

Unbidden tears formed in Charlotte's eyes, if she hadn't been in fear of her life she would have been heartbroken about the cold indifference he presented. Struggling to nod her head, she gasped for breath and collapsed at Vane's feet when he dropped her. He didn't say another word as he turned and left her curled on the floor of the hold. Charlotte would have sobbed her heart out if she wasn't still struggling to breathe. Any last remnants of hope that she had held on to dissolved like mist, leaving her a hollow shell.


	9. Complicated

AN: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Seriously, I appreciate you all so much! All the favorites, follows and reviews are fantastic and they absolutely make my day when I see them! I apologize for the long wait for this next chapter. I had school finals, vacation, bought a house and still have a lot more going on, but I won't leave this story I promise! This is just a short tidbit to keep you guys going until I can post a full chapter hopefully this weekend! Enjoy!

/

It had been a few days since the incident in the hold and the bruise around Charlottes' neck was beginning to fade. It hadn't been much of one, but enough that Anne had glared at it along with a few of the other crew members. Charlotte hated it and the idea that Charles thought she was encouraging some sort of mutiny. While Charlotte was still beyond angry for everything that had happened, she was mature enough to understand the politics of a ship and knew that this crew was stronger for its leader. She would never try to usurp Vane and after taking some time she decided to speak to him directly.

She took Vanes' dinner tray from the boy who typically carried it and waved him on his way. The tray shook a little as she walked towards his door and as much as she would like to tell herself it was the waves, she knew it was her nerves. She knocked and when she heard a low grunt she opened the door and stepped inside. He was at his window, looking out on to the dark of the open ocean and despite her anger, her body still responded to his strong silhouette.

When he didn't hear the tray being set down, Charles turned toward her and then froze, his icy blue-grey eyes taking her in from head to toe then locked on to her stare. When he didn't move or speak, Charlotte took a deep breath and willed herself to his desk to set down the tray. Once she did, she wrung her hands together then forced them down to her sides as she looked back at Charles. He hadn't moved an inch and if she hadn't seen him turn earlier she would think he had been frozen in place.

Charlotte knew he was waiting for her to speak and so she cleared her throat and began, "Captain Vane, I would like to clear something up before we arrive at the island tomorrow." Vane continued to watch her and when she waited for his permission he spoke, "Why should I let you explain anything?" His question took her aback and for a moment she wondered what he meant until it slapped her in the face; him chasing her around a desk telling her to let him explain. Charlotte blushed, but clenched her jaw. Her pride wouldn't let her back down from what she had said in that room so she nodded and turned to leave. She was about to open the door when Vane stopped her, "Explain whatever you want."

A little shocked that he hadn't let her leave, it took her a moment to collect her thoughts again. When she turned back to him, he was sitting behind his desk reclining as he usually did with his feet propped upon each other on the corner. "I just wanted you to know that whatever you have heard from the crew or Anne, I never, would never, do anything to destroy your crew. I think its best that when we reach the island, I rejoin Captain Flints' crew."

Charles didn't blink at her statement or give any sign that he had heard her until finally he uncrossed his arms from his chest and his feet from the desk. He slowly stood, planting his fists on the desk and leaned toward Charlotte. "I don't care what you do or where you go. You ceased to be of any concern to me after that night," he said the words without any venom. What Charlotte didn't know was how much control it took Charles not to yell at her, cuss her out, wish her to hell, and most importantly not to kiss her until she gave in to him. He'd imagined her on her knees begging his forgiveness countless times in the lonely nights since, but he had never and would never beg a woman to listen.

Charlotte gritted her teeth, forcing the tears back down, "Well, as long as we understand each other." With that, she nodded her head, turned on her heel and left before she could shame herself by demanding he explain. In the days after she said she didn't want an explanation, the lack of information began to eat away at her resolve. What had been so clear that night, began to fade with time and the resulting questions drove her mad, but she knew she had destroyed any chance of having Charles answer.

At this stage, her anger and pride warred with her common sense and understanding. On the one hand, she had caught him in the act right after saying she trusted him. On the other hand, she had not exercised that trust enough to let him explain. Maybe there was a good reason for what he had done, but now she would never know.

When she made it back to her hammock, Anne was waiting for her. "Good evening Anne," Charlotte said as she started to prep her hammock. Anne watched her for a moment then said, "You really gonna go back with Flint?" Charlotte stopped what she was doing and looked Anne in the eye, "I don't want to cause trouble with the crew and it's clear that they are ready to take sides in an argument that isn't theirs. This crew is weaker with me here." They both paused before Anne said, "Why couldn't you have used this cool-headed logic when it happened?" The question sounded rhetorical to Charlotte, but she answered anyway, the words tumbling out without her thinking about them. "Because I am a fool and because I love him." Anne shook her head and walked away without saying another word.

Charlotte considered what she had just said and acknowledged the truth in them to herself. Christ, she was a fool. Even if Charles had done exactly what she thought she saw, she still should have asked for an explanation, but she had lashed out in anger and wounded pride and quite possibly destroyed her own happiness for nothing. Crawling in to her hammock, she knew she wouldn't get any more sleep tonight than she had since they left England.

The next morning, she heard the call for land and breathed a sigh of relief. It would be easier to forget this whole adventure when she could get away from the one who was tormenting her. When they approached, Charlotte saw a ship she never thought she'd see; the Queen Anne. Blackbeard had come to their island.


	10. Blackbeard

AN: Thank you to all my reviewers, favorites and follows! I am so glad you continue to enjoy my story and I hope that you keep enjoying! I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, so without further ado Chapter 10!

/

Charlotte followed Charles, Jack, and Anne on to the island. She felt completely rung out emotionally and physically. Her nerves were on edge from the lack of sleep and the tension between her and Charles. She was afraid that if anyone so much as blinked at her the wrong way she would either burst into tears, shoot their face off, or maybe even perhaps both. She hoped that they found Flint and the others quickly so their meeting could be over and she could try to find some peace. They were going to find Flint, Billy, and Silver to report what they had discovered in England so that a plan could begin to be formulated.

The one question everyone on the Ranger had, concerned the arrival of Blackbeard. He had sworn not to join in their ill-fated fight against England for Nassau, but here he was on an island at the center of the rebellion. Charlotte stared in wonder as they passed by the famed ship docked off shore. Jack caught her looking and said, "You know, Charles was Edwards' right hand man. Was grooming him to take over."

Charlotte turned to Vane who was looking out over the water, away from the Queen Anne. She saw his jaw clench and she said, "That makes a lot of sense. I guess that explains why you are so good at what you do." Charles showed no signs of hearing either her or Jack and the rest of the trip to shore was silent.

When they made it in to the village, they found that a meeting had already been called and that Flint, Billy, Silver, Madi and her mother, and Blackbeard were all in attendance. The four newcomers quickly made their way to the main building and entered. Anne went in first, followed by Jack, then Charlotte and last was Charles. When Charles entered, she watched the man she assumed was Edward Teach look Charles over before saying, "I heard that you were set to be hung, only to have it thwarted by a crack shot with a rifle and a pirate uprising in the square. Billy here was just recounting the tale when you interrupted."

Charles said nothing for a moment then said, "You said you weren't going to be involved. Why are you here?" Charlotte watched the men size each other up and wondered why they seemed so cold toward each other if what Jack said was true. Teach stayed focused on Charles as he replied, "I wanted to make sure you hadn't hanged." His simple reply seemed heartfelt to Charlotte, but Charles didn't seem to notice. "I didn't. You can go. Unless you intend to fight?" Everyone in the room seemed to hang on to Teach's answer, "It depends on what you found out on your little excursion."

At this, the group turned towards Charlotte, so she cleared her throat, stepping forward, "England has no plans to aid the Governor in any way. The Admiral made it clear that Rogers was told he would receive nothing further from England than what he already has. Captain Vane has a letter from the crown to the Admiral to confirm this. The forces we face are only those that are already here." Charles stepped forward with the letter, opening it and laying it on the table for all to see.

As the group leaned over to read the letter, Teach focused on Charlotte, "So. You're the crack shot?" Charlotte heard the derision in his voice and it crawled up her spine making her skin itch in irritation. She glanced over at the mountain of a man sitting in the chair at the end of the table saying simply, "Yes." When she had first seen the Queen Anne docked, she had been excited to meet the legend that was Blackbeard, but after seeing Charles reaction to him she unconsciously began to dislike the man.

Blackbeard snorted in disbelief, "Aren't you a duke's daughter? What happened? Did Daddy wish he had a boy and get you instead?" Charlotte couldn't hear anything he said after that or for that matter anyone else in the room. The intense ringing in her ears from her anger almost overwhelmed her. She finally gained control and got the ringing to subside when she noticed everyone in the room watching the conversation between her and Teach. She felt Anne behind her and took strength, "My father is a drunk and a gambler. What he wants or wanted isn't worth shit."

Teach watched her for a moment, then shrugged, "I won't get involved. Nassau is history." Without a backwards glance, Teach left the room, but not before saying, "Little duchess, you should have stayed in England. You don't belong here in a man's world with your toy pistols." The door slammed on his departure and for a moment no one in the room moved. Suddenly Charlotte was out the door right behind the most notorious pirate living with cold-blooded rage in her eyes. Charles was right behind her followed by the rest of the room, but before anyone could intervene, Charlotte drew her pistol on the retreating form of Blackbeard and fired.

The musket ball shattered the walking stick Teach had been carrying and he spun around in time to see Charlotte draw her second pistol so fast he could barely track the movement. The second musket ball sheared a hole through his hat only about an inch from his skull. As Charlotte advanced on him, Teach removed his hat and considered the hole. The room of people had frozen a few yards back leaving Charlotte and Teach in the middle of the path, surrounded by onlookers. Charlotte yelled loud enough for everyone to hear, not on purpose, but because her anger couldn't be held back any more. "I never miss, Teach. Never. I am better than anyone you can name and I do belong here. It is a man's world, I'll give you that. I am not as strong as most men. I am not as fast as most men. And if you wanted to beat my ass right now, there is no way that I could stop you. But you mark my words," at this point she was in Blackbeard's face, her fists clenched tight by her sides. "I won't go down without a fight. You would win in the end, I am not a fool, but by God, you'll fucking know I was here when it's over."

Not a single person in the vicinity breathed as they waited for Edward's reply. The Captain was known for his cruelty and hard rules with his own crew and the audience waited to see what he would do to the girl who just shot him the beginning of the altercation, Charles hadn't been able to move to stop a single thing and now that Charlotte was nose to nose with a man he himself had once had a healthy respect for, his heart was doing a weird fluttering in his chest leaving him unable to breathe. He wanted to defend her, but knew that Teach would only look down on her if he did.

Teach stood still for a moment considering Charlotte before asking, "You think that this rebellion has a chance?" Charlotte didn't hesitate, "It not only has a chance, but has no chance of failing." Another moment of silence before Teach's laugh rang out, echoing off the buildings, "I'm in! And damn if you aren't as good a shot as you say. My dear, I do believe you owe me another hat," he said this last part as he flung an arm around Charlotte's shoulders, drawing her close to his side as he walked back to the leaders standing together.

They stopped in front of Charles, who had been the closest to them followed by Anne and Jack, "Charles you are one lucky son of a bitch to have had Duchess shoot you down. I do believe she trimmed my hair with that last shot. I'd keep this one close if I were you. Might prove useful." Teach slapped Charlotte hard on the back, making her stumble forward. Charles reached out instinctively, catching her before she fell. Edward proceeded back up the hill towards Flint without a second glance at the woman who had just swayed him into joining the fight.

Charlotte righted herself immediately and mumbled to her shoes, "Thanks for catching me. He's as strong as he looks." Charles didn't reply until she looked up at him, "What the fuck were you thinking?" Charlotte watched as anger flooded his features and she took a step back on instinct. Charles followed, seething, "Edward Teach isn't someone to challenge. You are lucky to still be alive, you fool. Were you trying to die?" Charlotte stiffened, "Fuck you, Charles. No I wasn't trying to die, but I'm sick of being told to go home. I've had enough. Now, I am tired so if you'll excuse me…" she said this, turning her back to him and marched off down the hill to the building she had slept in before. Charles watched her walk away and he thought about just how close he had come to losing her. No sooner did the thought run through his head than he shook it away. She wasn't his to lose.

/

Charlotte slept better than she had since her fight with Vane. The pallet was hard and she wished she had her hammock, but after the amount of energy she had spent in her fight with Blackbeard she was out before her head hit the mat. The next morning, the camp was busy with preparations when Charlotte woke. When she stepped out on to the porch, she was greeted by Billy, "I was just coming to get you. Anne said you'd be back with our crew and we are going out to scout the Nassau from a distance. You ready?" Charlotte grinned, "Let's do it!" The thought of being in action once more, excited Charlotte and she quickly gathered her things, following Billy. She didn't notice Charles standing with Teach watching her as she joked with Billy on their way to the ship.

Teach watched Vane as he scowled at the two and he couldn't let it go, "Are you angry because you have or have not fucked her?" The murderous look Charles turned on him answered his question, "So you fucked her, but she doesn't want you anymore." When Charles turned away again, Teach continued, "Didn't you learn your lesson with Eleanor? What is wrong with you Charles? This war may very well consume us all. Don't let her be a distraction." Charles said nothing in reply, but walked away from the mentor who used to be closer than a father.

The Walrus was under way by midafternoon and Charlotte couldn't help but smile at the sun on her face and the wind in her hair. It felt good to be sailing for a purpose, although if she was honest she missed the Ranger's crew and captain. She had been with them longer than those on the Walrus and while this crew accepted her more easily, she missed the comradery she had built with the men of the Ranger. Shaking her head, she focused her attention over the railing to the sea once more and was soon joined by Billy and Silver. "This wouldn't have been as easily accomplished without your assistance," Billy said. Charlotte shook her head, "This is inevitable, I only hope I have made the outcome swing in our favor." Billy nodded, "It will. It's an uphill battle, but we won't fail." Silver nodded in agreement and the three stood in silence for a moment before falling into idle chatter about what had happened on the island since she had left for England. Eventually, Silver was called away leaving Billy and Charlotte to talk.

"Were you able to keep practicing with the sword," Billy asked. Charlotte smiled at him, "I was. Anne taught me a lot. I still need practice, but I think I can hold my own now at least. Billy nudged her shoulder with his, "Show me what you learned."

Charlotte nodded and Billy followed her to an empty part of the ship where they turned to face each other. Drawing swords, they fought back and forth and Charlotte was able to keep Billy from killing her, but could tell she wouldn't hit a killing blow on him either. The fight stopped when Billy was able to knock Charlottes' sword aside, bringing his own to her throat. It was tense for a moment before they both laughed and Billy dropped his sword to his side. Charlotte bent down to retrieve hers and when she came back up, Billy scooped his arm around her waist bringing her up off the deck and into full contact with his body. His free hand quickly brought Charlotte's face to his and before she could think, Billy was kissing her. For a moment Charlotte was frozen, not only had she not expected this from him, but she was also busy comparing him to Charles. While Billy's mouth was nice, Charles' kiss tasted like spice, rum, and a warmth that consumed her. When Charles kissed her, her whole body responded, tuning in to him, but it wasn't with Billy. Billy's kiss was asking her for more. Charles took what he wanted and demanded more. Charlotte turned her head away, breaking the kiss. "Billy I…", she began, but Billy cut her off as he let her down to the deck. "You don't have to say anything. I know you and Vane had something, but I had to try," he said, with a chagrinned expression. Charlotte ignored the comment about Vane, saying, "Thank you Billy. I hope I can still count you as a friend." Billy smiled, "Yeah, of course." The two left it at that, but soon separated, the lingering awkwardness not fading. The rest of the voyage was uneventful as they dodged any potential engagement to continue to scout Nassau.

After a week, they had the information they needed and returned to the island to discuss the next move. Charlotte was invited to the discussions and found herself sitting in a corner of the room listening to almost the same argument as before she left. This time, Blackbeard interrupted and drew Charlotte into the middle of the argument. "Duchess, what do you think," he asked as he reclined back in his chair, folding his hands across his chest. For a moment Charlotte didn't speak as she realized that was where Charles got his pose from, but then she answered, "Why ask me? I'm the least experienced here." Teach replied, "You never studied war tactics with your tutors when you were trying to be a boy?" Charlotte blushed, but answered, "I did. Billy's plan is more tactically sound. We need as many men as possible on the island. If we hit all the plantations at once, we stand the best chance of rescuing the most people, but we don't have the resources for that. It will have to be one at a time so that men from each plantation can be left to defend it once it's been taken. This means that we risk the others being alerted and some family killed, but that cannot be helped." She saw Billy smile at her and blushed a little more, but then Silver spoke, "So you would sacrifice women and children?" Charlotte shook her head, "I didn't make them slaves and I don't hold them in cages to be punished for something they have no control over. The best we can do is make a solid plan to get as many out as quickly as possible, but to do this it may mean that some die. That is how war functions. No matter what you do, innocent people die. The best thing we can do for them is to remove the British as quickly as possible."

Madi spoke up, "The men won't fight for us if they know their families are in jeopardy." Charlotte answered, "So they'd rather them suffer a life time of slavery? That is the ultimatum that needs to be presented to these men. Their family can be alive and suffer for the rest of their existence, or, they can join us and try to put an end to it all together."

Blackbeard slapped the table, "That's what I wanted to hear." Flint tried to speak up, but Teach glared him down, "Enough Flint, you wanted me in this fight well you got it. I say Charles and I run a distraction hit against the British in the harbor, while you slip onto the island to recruit those slaves. We'll give you two days to it, then we'll hit them with a full out assault on the harbor. Depending on how well they are dug in, should take less than a week to route them."

When Teach was finished explaining his plan, no one spoke as they absorbed the information. Billy spoke first, "I like it," followed by Anne and Jack nodding in agreement. Flint and Silver held out until everyone else agreed and then reluctantly followed suit.

Flint asked Teach, "Do you have enough supplies for a fight like this?" Teach shook his head, "I'll need a week to hunt. Should be able to find what Charles and I need by then." Flint nodded, "You two have a week, then we move against England." Charles and Teach got up to leave when Blackbeard said, "Oh and I want Duchess on my crew." Flint shrugged, "Whatever she wants." Teach was looking directly at Charlotte and waited for her answer. Charlotte could feel Charles watching her when she replied, "All right." Blackbeard smirked, "Good girl. Come on I'll introduce you to the crew." Charlotte stood up, following Teach out in to the late afternoon heat. Jack caught up with her, falling into step beside her and whispered, "Charlotte be careful. Teach is unpredictable." Charlotte nodded, "Thanks Jack, but I don't think he was going to let me answer no. I'll just have to make the best of it." Just then Teach hollered for her to keep up and so Charlotte squeezed Jacks' hand and sped up to walk beside Blackbeard.

/

The crew of the Queen Anne wasn't much different than the crew on the Ranger. They were rough in their speech and mannerisms, but they seemed to accept Charlotte on the ship with only a few minor altercations. Charlotte could tell Teach was watching out for her and despite being irritated that he thought she needed it, she was grateful. It was two days before the Queen Anne and the Ranger spotted some likely targets. Three Spanish merchants sailing with only gunboats as escorts. Charlotte was on deck when the Ranger signaled the Queen Anne and she couldn't contain her anticipation. Blackbeard had already told her she would be boarding and that he'd be watching her skill with a pistol up close.

The two pirate ships closed in on the merchants and dispatched the gunboats without any effort, their own cargo working against them as they ignited from the inside. The plan was to double team one of the merchants, taking it down quick so that they could then pursue the others. The largest of the merchants was also the slowest, its cargo weighing it down deep in the water. After cannon fire was exchanged, both the Ranger and Queen Anne threw boarding hooks and it was time to climb aboard.

Charlotte's adrenaline hit her hard and for a moment she didn't think she could move, but suddenly, she found herself engaged with her sword, fighting a Spanish sailor. The man must not have been used to fighting because Charlotte was able to dispatch him quickly. The plan worked and the merchant ship soon gave up. With most of its crew dead and the rest tied up. The pirates left a skeleton crew on board until they could return to collect the supplies.

The other two merchants were trying to sail quickly out of sight, but the second one was caught and taken out as quickly as the first with the third soon boarded as well. The issue began when the sailors on board the last ship were far more able to fight than the last two. The pirates were becoming tired and the battle became intense. Charlotte had just pulled her cutlass free of a dead sailor when she saw another priming his pistol while watching her from across the deck. Charlotte smiled and drew her own pistol that was already prepared. Just as she began to fire, a number of things happened. First, she saw the sailor fire his own pistol towards her. She knew that the shot was going to go wide to her left and so she wasn't concerned until someone fell heavily into her right side, shoving her directly in the pistol balls path. The ball slammed into her shoulder just as she watched her own, make contact with the sailors' face, right between the eyes.

When she saw the enemy was no longer a threat, she turned to see who had slammed into her. She was not expecting to see Charles with his own sword stuck deep into a sailors' chest directly behind her. Slowly it all came together as she realized he had pushed her out of the way to save her from the attack from behind.

When the man fell to the deck dead, Charles turned to her, kneeling down, and she could see the fear in his eyes as he asked, "Are you hurt?" Charlotte nodded, "I caught the ball in my shoulder, but your chest looks worse." Charles looked down at the deep gash across his chest, "It will heal." The two looked around the deck and realized that the fight was over. The enemy didn't have anyone left, while the pirates had sustained minimal injuries. Charles stood up, reaching out his hand to Charlotte who took it gratefully. When her arm swung as she stood, she winced grabbing at her shoulder trying to ease the pain.

Charles growled, "You need to get that ball out." Charlotte didn't disagree, it was throbbing to the point she could barely think and she let Charles lead her off the enemy deck onto the Ranger. They found the surgeon below and he pointed to the only empty space he had. The injuries to the other pirates didn't look too serious from what Charlotte could tell and she was grateful that the men she knew had survived. When the surgeon came over he did a quick look at her shoulder then told her to lay back and grab on to something. Charlotte locked her hands down on either side of the table just as he poured alcohol straight into the hole in her shoulder. It felt as if he had poured liquid fire in to the wound and Charlotte didn't see how it could get worse until he began to insert the large pair of forceps.

Her upper body jacked up of its own accord and she vaguely heard the doctor tell someone to keep her still. That's when she felt someone get in her face and so she opened her eyes to find Charles not a few inches from her, "This will go faster if you can hold still." The calm in his voice soothed her and she was able to relax a little. It was then that she felt his hand holding hers and her body lost the rest of the tension. As soon as that happened, the surgeon removed the ball and quickly stitched her up.

The doctor tried to get Charles to lay down once Charlotte sat up, but he refused, saying it would be fine. Charles motioned for Charlotte to follow him and so she slid off the bed, grabbing a few bandages and a bottle of rum from the doctor on her way out. She followed Charles in to his cabin and began issuing him orders. "Take off your shirt and sit down on the bed. At the very least, that cut needs to be cleaned," she said setting the supplies on the desk. She went about the task of cleaning the wound without talking to Charles. She wanted to say so many things beginning with thanking him for saving her life but she couldn't find the words.

She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard him say low, "I saw you that night." Charlotte snapped her head up to look Vane in the eye. "What do you mean," she asked, the question coming out in a breathless voice. She could see him warring with himself about explaining to her, "I saw you come out of the servants' staircase before I kissed that woman." Charlotte felt the air leave her lungs as if she'd been punched. She stood up, ringing the bloody cloth in her hands, "So you did it on purpose for me to see." Charles growled, already fed up with trying to get her to understand, but the image of her almost dying today made him continue, "I did it so she wouldn't see you."

Charlotte stopped staring at her hands and looked up to watch Charles' face.

When she saw the truth in his eyes, her own started to tear up. "Fuck," she exclaimed, throwing the rag down on the desk. She paced back and forth for a moment until she stopped right in front of Charles, "You were protecting me." The statement came out without any accusations or emotions behind it. Charlotte said it as a fact before continuing, "And then I acted like a shrew. You even tried to explain and I…" She watched him for a second, "Charles, I owe you an apology. I should have let you explain, but you have to understand something." Charles waited for Charlotte to continue before asking sharply, "What?" Charlotte dropped her eyes and then stiffened suddenly, bringing her eyes to his, "I love you. I think I've loved you from the first time I saw you when I heard you tell the hangman to 'get on with it, motherfucker'", she said chuckling, but then continued seriously. "When I saw you kiss her, it didn't only make me mad. It wrecked my entire world. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think and then you came in acting as if nothing had happened and I saw a future of it happening repeatedly. I couldn't break out of the loop long enough to think logically. I'm so sorry that I ruined everything."

Charlotte scrubbed her hands over her face to wipe away the tears that had started to fall. "You deserve better than this," she mumbled as she turned away from him, walking to the door. She didn't expect to hear, "Where the fuck do you think you are going?" She turned back to him to see him walking across the floor towards her. Before she could answer, he pushed himself into her, walking her backwards until she came into contact with the wall. Charlotte's breath left her in short, shallow breaths, "I'm leaving. There's no way you'll forgive me after everything I've said to you." Charles shook his head, "Shut up Charlotte. Quit apologizing. Since that happened, we've both done things I'd rather we hadn't."

His fingers came around her neck, gently caressing the sides of her throat where he had left bruises, "I'm sorry I did that to you, but I did and at the time I meant it." Charlotte put her hand across his and squeezed lightly, "Just don't do it again." Charles shook his head, "I can't promise that." Charlotte furrowed her brows together, but Charles continued, "I am what I am Charlotte. Violence is a part of me and I won't change it, I don't want to. But loyalty is also. I want you Charlotte," at this, Vane pressed against her letting her feel the truth of his words. "Until we both decide we are done, you have my loyalty, always," he said this last part with his mouth caressing her neck and he felt when her body went liquid for him. Her spine relaxing as her head fell to the side allowing him full access. He speared his hands in to her hair forcing her eyes to lock on to him again as he said words he'd never said before, "I love you Charlotte. Fuck me, I do." He didn't let her reply as he slanted his mouth across hers, groaning as lust slammed in to him when he heard her moan in the back of her throat.

The few short weeks they had been apart felt like an eternity and they both began clawing at the others clothes. Charlotte had his belt and pants off before he could think and any chance he had of using his brain flew out the window when he felt her take his length in her hand. Her shirt he had been trying to untie, quickly became shredded rags as he bent to take her nipple in his mouth. She cried out in pleasure as she squeezed him and on instinct he thrust in to her hand. Vane took control of the situation after that, removing her hands and pinning them above her head as he used his free hand to undo her pants enough to slide his hand down the front and curl his fingers up into her. Charlotte thrashed in pleasure, begging him to take her now. Charles refused to let her down and enjoyed watching her reach her pleasure on his fingers. As she came down from the high, Charles thought he might explode if he didn't get in her soon and luckily, she seemed to have the same idea.

She slung off her boots to remove her pants the same time Charles did his and then she was jumping into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist as his hands slid under her ass and he backed her up against the wall again for leverage. Without any guidance, he slid into her and the pleasure had him resting his forehead on her shoulder. Charlotte whispered in his ear, "I missed your cock," which caused him to laugh. Charles kissed her deeply as he began moving in her. Their lovemaking was fast and hard against the wall, but neither complained about the bruises they'd have tomorrow. When they came, they clung to each other like it was the last time, instead of the first of many that night.


	11. Wake-up Call

AN: Thank you all so much for the great feedback! Also, thank you for hanging in there with me, I know it's been a while since I posted, but I'm hoping to get back to regular posts now! Again, I appreciate all of my readers! Let me know what you think! I'm sorry this is so short, but I wanted to get something up for you guys. Another chapter will be up this week I promise!

/

Charles woke up with a start the next morning to someone pounding on his door. The sun was barely beginning to rise over the horizon and Charlotte was still sound asleep next to him. The night before had been both incredible and exhausting. Regardless of their injuries sustained in battle, neither of them could get enough of the other.

The pounding began again and Charlotte curled into his body away from the noise as he began to sit up, but before he could get out of bed or even shout for them to stop, the door was flung open admitting Edward Teach closely followed by Jack and Anne.

"I had a feeling that I would find my missing crew here," Teach said as he strode toward the bed. At this point, Charlotte started awake and turned toward the intruders, clutching the sheet to her chest as Teach made to grab her arm. Seeing Teachs' intentions of dragging Charlotte out of the bed, Charles' hand shot out, gripping Teachs' wrist in a vice-like hold. Teach was about to get a very important lesson if he thought he could touch what was Vanes'.

Charles curled his body up and over Charlotte as he tightened his grip saying, "Get the fuck out." Edward didn't flinch as he snarled back, "She's my crew member despite who she's fucking." Charlotte looked back and forth between both men and actually felt Charles' chest rumble with a growl as he said, "I'm warning you Teach." It had taken a second for her to catch up to the situation since waking so abruptly, but she was quickly beginning to see a fight brewing and all because she was in Charles' bed.

She saw Jack and Anne standing in the doorway, watching the altercation, wondering what they could do to defuse the situation, but ready to defend Charles. She sent a silent thank you to them both for not backing down, then turned her attention to the man crouched over her protectively. Charlotte put her hand on Charles' chest, but he barely acknowledged the touch, his eyes never leaving Teachs' face.

Edward watched Charlotte try to gain Vane's attention without success. He was betting that she would make her own decision without so much as consulting Vane, but she surprised him when she stayed exactly where she was, protected underneath Charles. Edward paused a moment to reevaluate the situation, then withdrew his arm until Charles released him. Taking a step back he barked, "You have ten minutes to get back on the ship, Duchess or I'll come back. You won't like it if I come back."

Teach spun on his heel, shoving in to Jack as he pushed his way out of the open door. For a moment, Jack and Anne stood staring at Charles until Anne said, "We'll wait outside." Charles didn't move even after Anne shut the door, his body tense, hovering over Charlotte. He finally looked at her when he felt her hands run up his arms and over his shoulders pulling him down to her. Letting his body settle on top of hers, he crushed his mouth to hers is pure possession.

Charlotte had actually been terrified, watching the two men face off above her. Over the days she had spent on the Queen Anne she had developed a healthy fear of Blackbeard, but despite that, she wasn't going to go anywhere without asking Vane first. The kiss he was giving now was full of male dominance, letting her know in no uncertain terms exactly who she belonged to and for a moment, she let herself be claimed.

They broke apart gasping for breath, mouths bruised, noses touching. Charlotte gently stroked up and down Vane's arms and across his back, delighting in feeling him relax into her touch. When his body was pressed against hers, she asked softly, "What do you think I should do?" She felt him stiffen as he said, "Fuck Teach. You aren't going anywhere."

Charlotte nodded, "If that's what you want then all right." Charles looked at her as if expecting a different answer and Charlotte shrugged in response. "I told you last night that you have my loyalty just as I have yours, Charles. If you say stay, then I'll stay, but do you think it's wise to test him like this when we need his support?" she asked, watching him closely for his reaction. The initial anger subsided in the face of logic and she could see him contemplating all angles.

"I don't like it Charlotte. I've never seen him so interested in a crew member. Teach is up to something," Charles said, his thumbs stroking the sides of her face. Charlotte watched as Vane turned over the situation in his mind, then came to a decision. "You'd better go back. Teach is just as likely to sell us out as to help us if we piss him off," Charles said as he let her roll out from underneath him.

Charlotte nodded as she gathered up her clothes, "I think you are right Charles. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for anything suspicious, but we need Teach to decisively win." Grabbing the remains of her ruined shirt, she turned to Vane where he sat in bed propped up against the headboard watching her with hooded eyes. "I'm going to need to borrow a shirt, Captain. You seem to have been a little aggressive with mine," she teased him, delighting in watching his breath grow shallow and his nostrils flare with desire.

"You look better without a shirt," he deep voice rumbled, striking a nerve in her that shot lightening to her toes. She put her hands on her hips, turning back and forth sticking her breasts out, "Do you think the crew will agree with you?" Vane lunged at her with a growl, grabbing her by the arms and hauling her to his chest. Her cry of pain was swallowed by his mouth as he showed her how much he hated the idea.

When he pulled back and saw tears in her eyes he immediately calmed, "What's wrong?" Charlotte smiled and explained, "Just my shoulder." Charles let go of her injured arm and began checking the wound. The stitches were in place, but there was some dried blood and some fresh where he could tell they had been a little too rough. "You need to be careful with that so it doesn't become infected," Charles said.

Charlotte smiled and put a hand to his cheek, "I will be Charles, but I need to finish getting dressed before I'm physically hauled back to the Queen Anne." Charles eyes hardened, but he said nothing as she stood up and found a clean shirt of his. When Charlotte was dressed, Charles climbed out of the bed and drew her close, "As soon as we have Nassau, you're back on board the Ranger." Charlotte nodded, "Not a moment later, Charles. I hope it's sooner than later."

They kissed again until they heard Anne knock on the door, "Teach'll be back any minute." Charlotte pulled back saying, "I love you, Charles and I'm yours." Charles grunted in response before kissing her hard, then spinning her towards the door. "Go," was all he said, but Charlotte grinned in spite of the curt response.

She was surprised Charles had admitted to loving her the night before and so she didn't expect such an open response again this morning. The tone of his voice as he told her to go, told her all she needed to know about what Charles Vane was thinking. He didn't just love her, he was in love with her as deeply as she was with him, and this time Charlotte vowed to never let him go.


	12. Reality

AN: Warning: There are mentions of attempted rape in this chapter. If this is a trigger for you please avoid! Thank you to my reviewers! I really appreciate the feedback and I'm glad you are still enjoying the story! Thank you to everyone who has followed and favorited the story as well! So, a little teaser here, can anyone guess what Edward Teach is up to? Until I began writing his character, even I didn't know where it would go, but he whispered in my ear as I wrote him and now it's clear and I personally really like it! Message or post a review with your guess!

/

Teach was at the railing, the sun rising behind him, waiting for her when she stepped out on deck. Charlotte didn't waste any time, striding right up to Blackbeard, "Captain," she acknowledged. Teach looked at her through calculating eyes before gripping her upper arm and thrusting her towards the ladder that lead to the row boat down below. She wanted to fight his grip, but knew at the slightest sign of her distress, Charles would forget his willingness to not piss of Teach. When she turned to climb over the railing, she saw Anne standing in front of Charles as he glared daggers in to Teach's back. Charlotte sent him a small smile of reassurance as she disappeared down the ladder. She hoped Anne and Jack would take care of him in the coming weeks.

/

Charles watched Charlotte disappear over the side of his ship with Teach and barely held himself back from stopping her. He had known Teach a long time, and he knew him better than anyone. He knew Edward was up to something and the fact that he couldn't place it pissed him off badly. When Teach grabbed Charlotte, only Anne's hand on his shoulder kept him in tune with what he had to do. Charlotte's small smile as she climbed down sent a chill through his body as if it was the last time he would see her.

Charles shook off the foreboding feeling, not daring to look too deeply. He and Teach had once seen eye to eye, but when it became clear that Edward would never let go of his control, Charles had decided to strike out on his own. To say that Teach was angry was putting it mildly and when he had found out about Eleanor he had been irate.

Charles turned away and focused his energy on readying his crew for the impending fight. Anne and Jack stayed right with him until he snapped at them both, "Get the fuck off my back." Neither moved and Charles raised his eyebrows, "What?" Jack beat Anne this time, asking, "You aren't worried about her?" Both Anne and Jack noticed Vane clench his jaw before answering, "There's nothing I can do about it right now. We need Teach for this fight and for whatever reason, he wants Charlotte."

Jack shook his head, "I don't like the man, never have, but I really hate that he has her alone when he's clearly up to something." Because Jack was the closest, Vane took out his anger on his first mate for voicing his own concerns, "What the fuck would you have me do Jack?" Vane demanded this as he closed in on Jack, getting in his face. "I know that man better than anyone so I know he's up to something Jack, but until I figure it out, what would you have me do?" Jack didn't have an answer and he stood still as Charles backed off. Anne spoke up then, "We are just as worried about her as you are. We need to end this soon."

/

Charlotte was soon on her way to the Queen Anne, with Blackbeard sitting just in front of her and another crew member behind, rowing. The sun glinted off the choppy waters as the row man cut the oars through the surf at an unrelenting pace. Unable to stop her curiosity she questioned Teach, "You seem to be concerned with where I am all the time despite telling me initially that I didn't belong here." Teach turned to face her in the boat and the look he gave her, unnerved her. "My interests or concerns are my own. You are a crew member. Nothing more."

As he began to turn away from her, Charlotte pushed her luck a little too far. "I think," was all she got out before Teach backhanded her across the mouth hard enough for her lip to split slightly, drawing blood. Charlotte recoiled in shock, her hand coming up to feel the cut. She eyed Teach with renewed fear and suspicion, barely resisting the temptation to look back to the Ranger.

The rest of the ride was done in silence as Charlotte contemplated the problem in which she now found herself. She should have listened to Jack and never joined Blackbeard's crew, but she had been angry at Vane. Not to mention full of confidence at her ability to persuade Blackbeard to join them when everyone else had failed.

Now, in the cold shock of reality, she wondered at his quick turn around. Why would the great legend of Blackbeard be persuaded by the likes of her? In truth, Charles had been right that day when he said she could have died. Teach's reputation suggested his reaction should have been to shoot her, thrust a blade through her heart, or even beat her to death. She was now trapped on a ship with the man, alone, and without allies. Why hadn't she listened to Jack?

As she sat, berating herself for letting her pride get her in to this mess, the rowboat bumped in to the side of the Queen Anne. Startled out of her musings, Charlotte looked up at the massive ship and swallowed hard. She was truly on her own with a pirate that most assuredly had bad plans for her. The climb up the ladder seemed to take an eternity and when she swung her legs over the railing she felt as if every crew member looked her up and down. Cold fear slid down her spine as she stood frozen, clutching the railing behind her. She was considering jumping ship and swimming back to the Ranger, when Teach gripped her upper arm again, hauling her behind him.

She found herself slung down below to the gun deck. The teenage boys that were powder monkeys jumped up from their positions as they recognized their Captain. "Keep an eye on her boys. She's to be a monkey with you. Don't let her out of your sight," Teach said thrusting her forward.

Charlotte rubbed her arm where his grip had left bruises, she was sure, as he turned to her, "I don't want any trouble out of you Duchess. Do your job and try to stay out of the rest of my men's beds'." Charlotte clenched her teeth at the slur against her, but maintained her silence. Until she could figure out what Teach wanted, she thought it best to stay out of his way. She had a feeling that she was about to witness the Blackbeard of the legends, instead of the protector he had been earlier.

/

Trouble found her a few days later as the Queen Anne and the Ranger were making their way past the island. Once they had signaled the waiting pirates on the island and the Walrus, the Queen Anne and the Ranger set course for Nassau. Charlotte had been kept busy with battle preparations, but despite this, she had still noticed the attention she had begun receiving from some of the crew. Charlotte did her best to avoid being alone or drawing attention to herself, but as they sailed towards Nassau one night, she was ambushed by two men.

She was leaving the hold with supplies when someone grabbed her from behind while one man stepped in front of her. Dropping the supplies, she fought like a madwoman, kicking the man in front of her in the stomach while slamming her head back in to the man's nose behind her. When they released her, she ran for her life, but she didn't make it far. Tackling her from behind, one man sat on her back, holding her arms above her head as she felt the other man begin jerking down her pants.

She screamed then, not caring about anything but getting them to stop. She heard the man at her feet grunt to the other, "Turn her over and shut her up." The man on her back grabbed her by the hair, slamming her head in to the floor. Blood poured from her split eyebrow as the man shifted her beneath him, rolling her on to her back. He still held her arms above her head, but she struggled against his hold as he pulled her shirt up, exposing her breasts.

She desperately tried to get her arms free, thrashing her body back and forth trying for leverage, but the man at her feet pinned her legs down as he pushed them apart for access. Charlotte mentally cried out for Charles, begging the powers that be to help her, for him to somehow magically appear. She was brought back to the horrific reality by the man on her stomach roughly pinching her nipples, thrusting his erection in his pants on her chest.

As she began to feel the man below lining himself up at her entrance, she was suddenly free of all weight. Not bothering to look at what was happening, Charlotte curled on to her side hurriedly pulling down her shirt and pulling up her pants. When she was covered, she rolled over and saw Blackbeard with a few other crew members. Her attackers were backed into a corner, the one with his pants still around his ankles.

Blackbeard turned hard eyes on her as he said, "I thought I told you to keep from fucking my crew." Charlotte couldn't stop the tears that formed, her body shaking from the adrenaline still pumping through her veins. The terror she had felt during the attack now manifested itself in the face of Blackbeard's injustice. "Fucking your crew!?" she shrieked, tears streaming down her cheeks. Before she was standing up straight, Teach backhanded her, knocking her back on to her ass. Charlotte raised a hand to her throbbing cheek, while wiping the blood dripping in to her other eye.

Teach looked at her with cold eyes, "Get her up and bring all three of them up on deck." He turned without looking back as Charlotte was hauled to her feet and shoved up the stairs. Wondering what type of fresh hell was coming her way, Charlotte again lamented her rash decision to join Blackbeard. Her rough time aboard the Ranger her first week was looking like a picnic compared to the Queen Anne.

She was brought to a stop before the main mast along with the two men who attacked her, as Blackbeard stripped off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. Charlotte's stomach went hot with abject terror and her legs began to shake as she watched Teach's first mate hand him a cat o' nines. Holy shit, the man was going to flog her for being attacked! Charlotte looked desperately for sight of the Ranger, but it must have been behind the Queen Anne because she could not catch a glimpse in the dark.

A crowd began forming as one of the attackers was dragged forward and quickly lashed to the mast, arms hugging the massive piece of wood. The first strike of the whip drew blood and Charlotte knew Teach was holding nothing back. By the end of the count of ten, the pirates' legs had given out and his back was a mass of raw, bleeding flesh. Charlotte had to breathe hard through her nose to keep from vomiting. The next man fared no better and when he was let down, the men had to hold him up as they drug him back down below.

Charlotte's heart thundered in her chest as the man behind her pushed her forward to the now bloody mast. She didn't know how she walked forward, but she suddenly felt her arms being forced around the mast and tied at the wrists while the back of her shirt was pulled up over her head to leave her back exposed. She heard Teach let out a dry chuckle without mirth, "Seems you've known this type of punishment before Duchess. I should have known you were worse than you appeared. I warned you to stay away from my crew." He said this more to himself, but Charlotte heard every word. She wondered at the way he said this, hearing his implication of including Charles in that crew.

Before she could think more on it, the whip made contact, wiping everything from her mind. Nothing could have prepared her for the pain as the cat bit in to the tender flesh of her back. She was instantly grateful for the shirt covering her face as tears poured down her face, while she bit her lip to keep from screaming. She couldn't contain the grunts of pain from each impact, but she wouldn't give Teach the satisfaction of losing her mind. When she counted five, she waited for the sixth, but was surprised when her wrists were untied instead. She wasn't sure how she had remained standing, because as soon as her arms were released she crumpled to a heap on the deck.

She vaguely heard steps approaching, but the pain made her hearing fuzzy. Charlotte managed to roll on to her stomach and was attempting to rise to her hands and knees when she was kicked hard in the side, sending her sprawling across the deck on to her injured back. She bowed up off the deck, a whimper escaping her when Blackbeard filled her vision. Looking down at her, he spit on the deck by her face saying, "Get her out of my sight."

Someone grabbed her by the arms, hauling her to her feet, then half-drug her back down below. Instead of taking her to her hammock, they dumped her in a heap on the floor where she lay curled around herself, unable to move under her own power. Sometime later, she passed out from the pain and exhaustion. The blackness a welcomed break from the harsh reality in which she now found herself. Her last thought before sinking into the numbness was to ask again, why hadn't she listened to Jack?

/

She woke sometime in the early morning as the crew changed shifts. Men stepped over her on their way above and below, not bothering to miss her. Scooting back as far as she was able, she leveraged herself against the wall until she was standing, gritting her teeth against the pain as the cuts on her back opened up again.

Finally upright, Charlotte took a deep breath, wiping at the sweat that had formed on her forehead. As she leaned up against the wall, she gave in to her self-pity, acknowledging that until this moment, her interactions with pirates had been a sheltered one. Full of confidence, she had entered this world guns blazing, saving Vane, helping to start a rebellion against the country in which she grew up, and falling in love with Charles. She had to acknowledge that her experience in this world up until now had been outside the normal for a woman and that last night and today were more realistic.

Suddenly, the words Charles had said to her after she had beaten his crew member came back to her, "You are more capable of taking care of yourself than you know. If this is the life you want, all you have to do is reach out and take it." Charlotte shoved herself off the wall and stood on her own two feet once more. Shuffling to her hammock, she fished out the bottle of rum stored in her pack. Letting her shirt rest against her beaten back, she poured the liquor on to the wounds so that the shirt soaked up the liquid, allowing her skin to soak it up. She ground out between her clenched teeth as the rum shot fire along the wounds, "Fuck you Teach."

Once she was as cleaned up as she could be, she made her way to the galley for a scrap of whatever might be left at this late hour. The crew still lingering around did not look at her as she grabbed a hard crust of bread and a cup of grog. She hoped the mixed liquor numbed some of the pain of her throbbing back. She didn't hang around to eat, instead she soaked the bread in the drink then downed the rest of the liquid in one swallow. Placing the cup back on the table, she turned towards the door, taking big bites of the now dripping bread.

She finished her meager breakfast as she entered the gun deck and began her tasks for the day. Instead of the usual chatter from the boys, silence filled the space for the entire work day. This pattern of silence and avoidance continued over the next few days and Charlotte enjoyed it. Her back had begun to tighten from dryness, but she welcomed the healing process knowing that she was past the critical point of infection.

Every so often she caught sight of the Ranger some distance off the portside and she had to make herself not gaze longingly at where she would rather be. She imagined what Charles was doing currently and wished herself back in the safety of his cabin. She also pictured Jack and Anne, and their easy going company that she hadn't known she liked so much. The more she thought about the crew on the Ranger, the more she realized how much like home it felt. It was a silly thing to think about, but the cold malice of the crew of the Queen Anne really made her appreciate the Ranger. If this was the environment that Charles had been raised in, she could now understand him quite a bit better than she ever had. To not only survive, but thrive, Charles had to be tougher than she could imagine.

A new respect for Charles built within her as she spent her days laboring on the Queen Anne. She tried to be grateful for this new insight into the man she loved, but found herself still wishing she had avoided this experience. She also tried to imagine why Blackbeard had made such a change toward her. She thought it might be that he was hoping to get Charles to return to the fold and saw her as an obstacle. He seemed to dislike her on a level that was deeper than normal and the only thing she could imagine was that he felt her to be a threat to what he wanted.

The one part of the situation she couldn't solve was his reasoning for putting the lash to her. If he wanted Charles back, wouldn't it benefit him to keep her on his good side? Once Charles learned of this, she was sure he would kill Teach outright. That morning in his cabin when Teach had reached for her, she had been afraid of that exact scenario and Teach hadn't even touched her. Had she not been so exhausted each night, these thoughts would have kept her awake. As it was, the days flew by, until one evening the Queen Anne and the Ranger pulled side by side in preparation to swoop down on Nassau bringing vengeance.

As the ships began sailing together in to gun range, the gun deck was a mass of activity. Charlotte didn't have time to look for Charles at the helm of the Ranger even though he was on her mind. She sent up a prayer that he would be safe as she ran back and forth making sure supplies were ready for the coming battle. The next hour passed by as if it were moments and all of a sudden they heard the call to fire.

The gun deck was soon filled with thick, acrid smoke and Charlotte pulled the scrap of cloth over her nose and mouth and she reloaded the canons. In no time her arms and back were aching and she was drenched in sweat from the lack of air. Still the canons continued firing and she knew they intended to keep this pace for days. The crews would rotate as best they could, but they were still in for a rough couple of days.

The sun soon set after their first strafing run on the beach. As the ships turned out to sea to reposition their starboard side towards the beach, Charlotte collapsed back on to the keg of gun powder behind her. Her body was shaking from exhaustion when the kitchen boy came around with the water bucket. The drink she got wasn't nearly enough, but the starboard side guns began firing and the boy scurried on to the rest of the crew trying to hurry back to the galley.

This pattern kept up all night until dawn the next morning when the crews began changing. The boy that took over for Charlotte tapped her on the shoulder in a signal for her to step aside and she did so gratefully. They had been lucky in their attack, sinking the ships in the harbor in record time so that none were left to chase them out to open water. They were now targeting the fort and the unprotected beach and the frequency of the attacks let Charlotte know that Teach was expecting a quick victory.

Charlotte stopped in the galley to grab some hard tack and a drink before quickly making her way back to her hammock. Surprisingly, she was asleep before she fully laid down despite the canon fire and the rocking of the ship as an enemy round hit the water not far from its target. She dreamed of Charles waiting for her on the beach in victory and she smiled in her sleep.


	13. Betrayal

AN: Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting my story! I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know you are enjoying it!

/

The bombardment of the coast lasted the two days that Blackbeard had promised and as the guns ceased fire, not a single movement could be seen from the decimated beach. The wreckage of the once populated coast, looked gruesome in the early morning light and the acrid smell of gunpowder burned Charlotte's nose. Trees, pieces of buildings, and mangled bodies littered the once pristine sand. Teach called for the pirates to disembark and the rowboats were soon loaded with men armed to the teeth. Fighting with the canon was one thing, but these men preferred the brutality of hand to hand combat.

Charlotte double checked that her pistols were loaded and kept her sword in her hand, ready for the moment they hit the beach. Pirates from the Ranger met them on the sand and together they moved across the wreckage like locusts, looking for any signs of life. Charlotte walked across the bodies of the British soldiers and local citizens with an equal amount of disinterest. They would have killed her without question and they were on that beach for a reason, to stop the pirate invasion.

Charlotte made sure to watch her own back, as she knew she wouldn't receive any assistance from the crew of the Queen Anne and the crew of the Ranger was too far down the beach to help her. They met the first resistance, mid-way through the town, when British soldiers that had been staged in the brothel, came pouring out from all sides. Charlotte's first instinct was to reach for her pistol, but she held back knowing she might need them if someone over powered her later.

Her blade met that of a man no older than she and she could see the shock in his eyes as he realized she was a woman at the same time her blade slid through his ribs to his heart. Charlotte jerked the blade free as the man fell where he stood and swung the sword to her left to block another attack.

The fighting was fast and fierce in the close quarters of the streets. Men from both sides bumped in to her as she pushed back her own attacker, swinging her blade and catching him across the abdomen. As the man paused to grab his wound, Charlotte finished the job by slicing through the mans' throat. Blood gushed from the mortal injury, spraying Charlotte from her face to her waist. Wiping the back of her arm across her face to clear her vision, she pushed on, meeting her next attacker with a thrust to his thigh. When her blade lodged in the bone, she bent down, quickly drawing her dagger from her boot. She thrust it through the man's eye socket until the hilt met the bone and the tip of the dagger scraped the back of his skull.

As the man fell to the ground, Charlotte used the momentum to dislodge the dagger. Shoving the blade back in to her boot, she focused on removing her sword from the dead man's leg. When she finally wiggled it free, she noticed a blade arcing down toward her head out of the corner of her eye. Before she could move out of the way, another blade blocked its downward path and Charlotte instantly recognized the arms and hands that held the blade. Charles threw the man back with what looked like very little effort, before swinging his sword with enough force to sever the man's head almost completely from his body.

Charlotte must have been looking at him with her mouth hanging open because he chucked her under the chin with his bloody knuckles, smiling slightly, "Impressed?" This caused Charlotte's face to split in to a blinding smile as she laughed, "Definitely. Not to mention a little turned on." Charles pulled her in roughly for a fast, hard kiss, before turning back to the battle surrounding them. Charlotte stayed close to him for the rest of the battle in the streets of Nassau, doing her best to keep up with his furious pace through the enemy.

There wasn't much time to think about anything except for keeping herself from becoming a pincushion as she fought the uphill battle through Redcoats. A glancing blow caught her in the left shoulder, but in the action, she barely noticed the blood dripping down her fingers. She could feel some of the wounds on her back reopen, but knew there was nothing she could do about it. Even the pain seemed to fade in to the background, the adrenaline rush shoving out everything that wasn't life or death importance. To her surprise, Blackbeard never seemed to be far from her and she could swear he was following her and Charles.

Charlotte wondered at his strange behavior, but couldn't spare the mental power to truly puzzle it out. Soon, the resistance that remained in town was vanquished and the pirates moved deeper in to the island with the noon sun high overhead. Somewhere on the way out of town, Charlotte lost sight of Charles, but continued on, knowing she would find him later. Charlotte passed a house that was on fire with a woman dead in the front yard surrounded by Spanish soldiers and a few British. The sight of the dead Spaniards had all the pirates around her stalling, calling out their discovery to the rest that were too far away to see.

News that there were more than just British on the island spread like wildfire down the line and they proceeded with extra caution. They didn't meet any resistance for a mile, but when they approached a plantation, it was under attack by the Spaniards. They quickly overtook the soldiers, surprising them from behind. Charlotte could feel her energy lagging in the hot sun over head as she worked to push her blade in to the stomach of a soldier. A shadow fell over her as she knelt over the dead body and she leapt back, her blade not quite making it up in to a defensive position.

Billy's bloody, smiling face looked down at her and Charlotte sighed with relief. "Glad to see you made it," he said as he held out his free hand to her. Charlotte took it gratefully, "I'm glad to see you too. Do you know how we are faring so far?" Billy nodded, "Really well. We were able to liberate most of the plantations before we met resistance and we freed the rest after fighting through to them. As far as we can tell, Rogers fled to Cuba to seek help from the Spanish, but we've been able to repel them as well as the British."

Charlotte watched the pirates around them strip the obvious valuables from the dead men as she and Billy walked in to the plantation. They noticed that Silver, Flint, Blackbeard, and Vane had made their way to the center of the yard and headed that way themselves. As Charlotte and Billy approached, they heard the leaders discussing the remaining Spanish and what to do with them. "We have to finish the rest that are left on the island," Blackbeard said. "If we leave them alive, they'll report back about our weaknesses and we'll be fighting another invasion in a few weeks."

Flint argued, "If we slaughter them all, we invite an invasion in sheer retaliation. They came here on the invite of Rogers. With him and Eleanor dead they have no reason to return." Hearing that Eleanor was dead, Charlotte looked over at Charles, but he didn't seem to have any reaction to the news. Instead, he was staring at her, and she watched him take in her injuries from the cut on her left arm to her bruised face, among the other random nicks and cuts. She was glad he couldn't see her back, knowing he wouldn't hesitate to kill Teach. Even though they no longer needed Blackbeard now that the island was taken, she couldn't bring herself to be the cause of Teach's death at the hand of Charles no matter how much she hated the man.

Despite wanting to hide her injuries from Charles, she couldn't stop herself from approaching him as Flint and Blackbeard continued to argue. She breathed deep, relaxing for the first time in over a week, as Vane's arm slid around her lower waist, pulling her in to his body. Charlotte watched Blackbeard cut her a dark look as he continued his argument, but she turned away from him wrapping her arms around Vanes' waist, laying her head on his shoulder. She was past worrying what Teach thought about her and her relationship with Charles.

She heard Charles whisper in to her hair, "Are you all right?" Charlotte only nodded her head, too exhausted to speak. Now that her body was beginning to relax, she was feeling the full effects of the three-day battle. The sun was beginning its decent as she stood with Vane, waiting for the rest of the leaders to make a decision. Suddenly, Blackbeard announced, "My crew will chase down the remaining Spanish and put an end to them." Charlotte's head whipped around toward Teach and she locked eyes with him as if he was waiting for her reaction.

She wanted to shake her head and tell him she couldn't take another step, but her pride got in her way once more. Instead of saying no, she pushed out of Vane's arms despite his grip tightening. She smiled at him through her exhaustion, "I'll be back soon. I promise." Vane shook his head, beginning to say something, but Flint shouted to him about checking the rest of the island so instead he squeezed her hand, then turned away to consult with Flint and Silver about securing their position.

Following Blackbeard and the rest of his crew back down the path out of the plantation, Charlotte ignored the odd feeling she got, summing it up to exhaustion. She missed the fact that Jack followed behind her, keeping to the shadows and out of notice. In the hours they walked, they encountered no one. Not a single enemy was left on the island, Charlotte was sure, but Teach kept walking anyway. The paths they took looked to have not been used for a long time and Charlotte began wondering where exactly they were going.

Night was falling around them and the sounds of the island inhabitants waking up around them gave the darkness an eerie feeling. Charlotte's steps were beginning to falter from the lack of food, water, and sleep, and she soon stumbled to her knees as her feet met with the uneven sand of a beach. Charlotte looked around in the gloomy haze of sunset, the sun having already disappeared behind the horizon. The one thing that she could see clearly was the outline of a ship not far from shore and she quickly looked around the beach to see how close the enemy was. No one was near her except other members of the Queen Anne and they didn't look startled to see the ship or the rowboat coming to meet them.

Nothing could have prepared Charlotte for the man that stepped out of the rowboat and met Teach halfway across the beach. Charlotte immediately began scrambling away from them, desperately hoping to get away, but her path was blocked by three men who immediately hauled her up between them in unrelenting grips. Charlotte threw her body down towards the ground as she screamed for anyone to help her, hoping to break their hold on her, but it was no use. They clamped down harder, dragging her dead weight.

Changing tactics, Charlotte slammed her feet in the ground ahead of her, pulling her captors backwards. Their grips slipped slightly and Charlotte lashed out at them with her feet, catching one in the groin and another in the knee. She would have broken out of their hold all together had the third man not stepped up behind her with a pistol, knocking her over the head. The blow brought her to her knees, but didn't knock her out completely. The man quickly stripped her of her weapons as she stayed still, dazed from the hit.

She heard Blackbeard chuckle as his man grabbed her by her arms, pinning them behind her back as he forced her to her feet. Her head swam from the blow and she could feel blood trickling down behind her ear, but she forced her vision to steady as she looked up in to the face of the one man she thought she'd left behind. Lucian Anderson stared down his long, aristocratic nose at her, sneering in disgust. Blackbeard continued to laugh as he said to Anderson, "Are you sure she's worth the trouble? I've near beaten her to death myself and she keeps rebounding. I'd suggest you keep this one locked in chains until you are through with her."

Anderson turned the sneer on Blackbeard, haughtiness at being told by a pirate how to take care of a woman coating his sharp features. "She won't last long enough to be trouble. Once her father has secured his end of the bargain, she'll be taken care of." Charlotte struggled again, but without any strength left she could barely move as the man behind her tied her hands tightly. Blackbeard nodded, "Just make sure I don't see her here again." Anderson nodded as he motioned for the men in the boat to bring forward a chest. "You're reward, Teach," Lucian said as the chest was dropped at Blackbeard's feet.

Two of Blackbeards' crew came forward and took the chest, turning back down the path they had arrived on. Charlotte looked at Teach with a manic gleam in her eye as she said, "I'm going to kill you Teach. Mark my words, I will kill you for this." Charlotte spit the blood pooling in her mouth at Blackbeard, hitting him in the center of his chest. For a moment, Teach considered her before saying, "It's a shame we didn't meet under different circumstances, Duchess. You could have been one of my finest, but you are a problem where Charles is concerned and I can't have that."

The blow he dealt her this time spun her around on her feet and she fell face first in to the sand. Turning her head to the side to keep from suffocating, she caught a glimpse of someone hiding in the trees that lined a section of shore. Jack stared back at her from the shadows and Charlotte wanted to cry for his good intentions, but instead she shook her head at him. She could see Jack wanted to come to her rescue, but she mouthed, "Charles," at him then nodded her head, mouthing, "Go!"

Thankfully, Jack acknowledged her with a nod of his own before disappearing in to the shadows. Charlotte felt hope spring in her chest and she clung to it with all her might. Before she could really enjoy the thought of her rescue, Anderson's men grabbed her by the arms, dragging her up and to the boat. She was thrown in to the bottom of the rowboat and she moaned in pain as her ribs struck a bench on the way down. Anderson soon sat down on the bench above her and as his men rowed them out to his ship he leaned down to whisper, "You should never have run from me, Charlotte. We could have at least tried to make a go of marriage." His hand stroked over her sweat and blood, matted hair as the row boat cut through the water, "But now, well, I'm afraid the rest of your short life won't be pleasant."

Charlotte's insides turned to ice, but she quickly calculated the situation and thought her best course of action would be to lure Anderson in to thinking she was helpless. Giving in to the tears that were already threatening, she sobbed, "I never meant to leave you Lucian. I was kidnapped and they've been keeping me here waiting for a ransom!" The lie threatened to catch in her throat, but she forced her way through it, quivering her bottom lip to hide the tremor in her voice as they approached the massive outline of Anderson's ship.

She could feel Anderson watching her, weighing her words, but his answer revealed nothing as he stood up, reaching for the ladder to board the ship. "It matters not my dear. Your fate has already been decided. You'll just have to wait and see what's in store."


	14. Death

AN: I really can't tell you guys how much it makes my day to see new reviews, favorites, and follows! You guys rock! I'm so glad you continue to read and like my story!

/

Charles watched Charlotte walk away with an uneasy feeling. He could tell that she was past the point of exhaustion when she had leaned in to him for support, but the feeling he got now was more than just that. Vane would have considered the situation further if Flint hadn't called for his attention. Tempted to tell Flint to fuck off, Charles took a deep breath and pushed his concern for Charlotte out of his mind. She was a grown woman who could look after herself.

He smirked to himself when he remembered just how capable she was fighting on the beach and through town this morning. She never hesitated in killing anyone who was attacking her and that fierceness was part of his attraction to her. When she told him she was turned on after he kept that sword from decapitating her, he had wanted to take her right there. Flint called out to him again and Vane almost let out a growl for being interrupted from such great thoughts. If Flint wasn't as useful as he was, Charles would be tempted to get rid of him permanently.

Unfortunately, he knew Flint had a point about securing their position. After the days it had taken and the lives lost in capturing Nassau, it would be ridiculous to lose it because they didn't take necessary precautions. He turned to Anne and Jack, expecting to nod at them to follow, but when he turned, only Anne was there. "Where's Jack?" he asked, looking around.

He could tell Anne was holding something back when she responded, "I dunno. He left and said he'd be back." Charles clenched his jaw in irritation. Jack was always running off when he was needed. Jerking his head for Anne to follow, Charles turned and approached Flint who was discussing plans with Silver, Billy, and Madi.

"The plantations are all secure. The freed slaves have taken complete control and are armed well enough to defend themselves," Madi said. Silver nodded, "Honestly, I think most of the island is secure with the freed men defending it, but the town is the most vulnerable. How much is left of the fort?" Vane answered, as Silver asked the question directly to him. "Most of the outer wall is rubble. It's undefendable so no one should try to fortify themselves inside to oppose us. After we swept through the town, I'd be surprised to find anyone alive," Vane watched the others as he said this.

Billy was the most fair minded about killing and Vane could tell the thought of a slaughter bothered him. Charles savored making the youth uncomfortable. He had seen the way Billy looked at Charlotte when her back was turned and took pleasure in reminding him just how brutal he could be.

Flint nodded, "Silver is right. The town will need a defense like the plantations. Captain Vane, do you think you can secure the town with your men or will you need more?" Charles considered the ins and outs of the town and replied honestly, "More wouldn't hurt. Divide your men up between the places that need them and whatever is left send them to me. I'll set up a position just off the beach."

Silver spoke up, "When Teach returns we can send him your way as well. If the Spanish do decide to retaliate, the quickest way on to the island is through that beach." Vane nodded his head before turning to Anne, "Gather the men. Let them know we are heading back to town in ten minutes." Anne said nothing as she turned to find the crew and give them their instructions. Vane paused a moment with Flint, saying, "If you see Jack, send him to town." Flint agreed, then turned to find his own crew and divide them up.

As he walked back to town with his crew, Charles thought about Eleanor for the first time in weeks. He had seen her body in front of the house earlier and despite everything she had done, he realized he felt a little saddened by her death. Regardless of what had happened recently, they had loved each other once, not that he had ever told her. Eleanor would have used it against him and they both had known it. It wasn't the same as with Charlotte and Charles found himself thinking about the woman he was now in love with.

In many ways, Eleanor and Charlotte were alike, head strong, independent, self-sufficient, stubborn, and hot-tempered, but that was where the similarities ended. Their differences were in how they treated him. They both pushed him, but Eleanor had her own gains in mind while Charlotte seemed to just love what he loved. Eleanor hated that he was stronger than her, always challenging him trying to prove herself better. He had seen the terror on Charlotte's face when he had threatened to kill her in the hold, but despite that, she had come to him to apologize, not out of fear, but respect for his authority.

She was behind him, supporting him all the way. Their differences were what made Eleanor's death a sadness while the thought of losing Charlotte now, felt like he would be missing a limb. It truly shocked Charles, when he thought about losing Charlotte, to know just how badly it would affect him. His thoughts about the women in his life made the walk back to town pass quickly.

It was pitch black by the time the crew of the Ranger made it back in to the abandoned town. Charles took up residence in the tavern as it was the least damaged of the buildings. There were pieces of wall crumbling and debris coated every table, but the structure was sound. Reaching behind the counter, he grabbed a bottle and took a long, hard pull. Feeling the liquor spread warmth throughout his body, he stepped back out in to the street to monitor his men.

He and Anne had issued instructions on their arrival for fortifying their position and had worked alongside the crew until it was defendable, at least temporarily. Now, the crew were either on watch or sleeping, most having ate what food they could find abandoned while they worked. Charles was just about to step back inside when the watch let out a warning of someone's approach. When his men asked for identification, he heard Teach's indignation at not being recognized. The crew let the Captain through and the rest of his crew followed.

In the dark, Charles couldn't make out Charlotte among the men and was surprised when she didn't come forward with Teach. Edward met Charles in the entranceway to the tavern slapping him roughly on the shoulder, "Well, the enemy are all gone and we have Nassau returned. I'd say that warrants a drink." Teach took the bottle out of Vane's hand, pushing past him in to the tavern. Charles let it slide as he was looking for Charlotte, the uneasy feeling returning.

Teach drew out a chair, placing his feet up on a table and reclining while taking a deep pull from the bottle. "Come on Vane, the crew can sort themselves out. Let's you and I drink to better days ahead!" Teach watched as Charles scanned the crew of the Queen Anne looking for that bitch. He could tell he had gotten rid of her not a moment too soon, but he was going to need to tell Charles something he would believe. "She's not out there," Teach said, eyes watching Vane closely.

When Charles turned towards him he continued, "Went somewhere with that kid named Billy when we got back from routing the rest of the Spanish." Vane scowled as he said, "Why would she do that?" Teach calculated his next words carefully, "No idea really. Flint asked for her help and sent her off with Billy. Billy didn't seem to mind. Said he'd bring her back here when they were done."

Teach could tell from the look on Charles' face, that he had said the right things to push Vane away from her. Suspicion clouded his eyes and fury stiffened his spine. Teach congratulated himself on his manipulation and only hoped no one showed up to contradict him. Killing Billy would be easy and solidify the story that they had run off together. His men were stalking the boy now.

/

Jack picked his way carefully through the overgrown vegetation in the dark. He was tempted to run straight for the open path and bolt for Charles and Anne, but he knew Teach's crew wouldn't be far behind and he couldn't risk running in to them. Charlotte needed him to get the information to Charles. He wasn't going to risk her life by being foolish.

Jack had grown rather fond of Charlotte in the weeks he had known her. She was always helping him out, Anne respected her enough to take her under her wing, and Charles had been, well he'd been more like the old Charles. Charlotte brought out the fierce, unbreakable pirate in Vane that Jack had admired enough to follow. He and Anne had tried to repair the damage Eleanor had done to no avail, but Charlotte had won him back with the touch of her hand. For that, Jack loved Charlotte like a sister.

A few hours later, Jack was sweating as he fought through the dense undergrowth. Just as he was beginning to think he should take the road, he heard voices approaching. Crouching down, Jack realized he was closer to the road than he had thought and hoped no one had heard him. The voices drew louder and Jack recognized them from the Queen Anne. Three men were walking the path cautiously in the dark, but their whispers carried in the still night air. "Cap'n said we would find him somewhere out here, where the hell is he?" the man the farthest behind asked. The leader never looked back as he said, "Shut up. He's out here somewhere and we'll find him. Cap'n said he had to disappear or else we would." The third of the group, and the shortest nodded, "One man against us three? Even if that Billy kid is a giant, he'll disappear."

Being the clever man he was, Jack guessed Teach's plan and decided to follow the three cutthroats. If he could keep Billy alive, he'd be able to convince Charles she hadn't run from him. Otherwise, he was afraid Vane would believe Teach.

Jack stalked the trio from the shadows of the dense overgrowth for what felt like hours before they came upon Billy. He was walking the path with one other man that headed towards the plantation they had all started out at this afternoon. The three cutthroats still saw the job as easy and so they rushed up behind, thinking to take them by surprise. Jack was just about to shout a warning, when Billy and the other, spun around with their swords drawn. Although Billy seemed to be capable of taking on two attackers, Jack jumped in to the fray to end it quicker. When the three men lay dead in the middle of the road, Billy looked over at Jack, asking, "What the fuck was that about? Who are they?"

Jack sheathed his blade as he quickly explained, "They are from Blackbeards' crew." He took Billy by the arm and began pushing him down the road towards the plantation, "I'll explain everything on the way, but right now we need as many men as we can find." Billy pulled his arm away, coming to a complete stop in the middle of the road, the other man stopping not far behind. "Explain now, Rackham," Billy said, his sword still drawn.

Jack shook his head in frustration and said what he knew would get Billy moving, "Charlotte's in trouble and we need help." Billy broke in to a jog beside Jack, "What do you mean? Where is she?" Jack explained as they took off at a speedy pace, "Blackbeard. He's apparently only been here to kidnap her. The man she was engaged to? Well, Blackbeard ransomed her back to him. He took her on the far side of the island tonight and set sail."

Billy doubled his efforts without saying a word and they soon reached Flint's fortified position. Flint met them close to the gate, "Rackham, Vane said to meet him in town as soon as you came back. Teach's on his way now." Jack fought for breath as he said, "Need extra men. As many as you have." Flint frowned at Jack, "What for? And why the hell were you running?" Jack answered, panting, "Vane and Teach are going to come to blows tonight. If Teach is in town then it is only a matter of time." Flint looked immediately alert, "Why the fuck would they kill each other tonight?"

Billy spoke up then, "Jack said he watched Teach ransom Charlotte back to the man she ran away from marrying." Flint swung his head back to Jack, demanding, "Anderson is on this island?" Jack shook his head, "Not anymore. As soon as he had Charlotte, they rowed out to his ship and set sail." Flint hissed, pacing a few feet away before turning back to them, "Take as many as you think you'll need. Back Vane and his crew. Teach has gone too far, too many times." Billy nodded and quickly went to gather as many men as he could find.

/

Charles watched Edward impress himself with the easy lie that slid from his lips. Charles had to give him credit, if he hadn't known Teach as well as he did, he might have believed him. Luckily for Vane, he knew the man better than he knew himself so he easily recognized that he was lying. What he couldn't figure out, was why.

What did Teach gain from the lie and more importantly, where the hell was Charlotte? If she wasn't here with the rest of the crew, and she wasn't with Billy at the plantation, then where was she? Charles bid his time, coming over to the table, pulling out his own chair across from Teach. They passed the bottle back and forth for a while as Vane studied Teach. Once, not that long ago, he had admired the famed pirate for his cleverness, his leadership, and his sheer brutality. He knew that Blackbeard saw most things in black and white and that was part of the teaching that made Vane who he was. However, he also knew that Teach applied that same reasoning to Charlotte and that his relationship with her fell in to the wrong side of Teach's rules.

Charles didn't waste any more time asking Teach for the truth, "Where is she, Teach?" Blackbeard's eyes never left his as he said, "With Billy. As I told you, Charles." Vane put his feet on the ground, standing up beside the table and leaning on his fists toward Teach, "Don't lie to me. The least you owe me is the truth. Where is Charlotte?" Blackbeard didn't answer, watching Charles to see what he would do next.

Before Charles could ask Teach again, Jack burst in to the room followed closely by Billy and Anne. Jack had his pistol pointed directly at Teach as he called down to Charles, "He sold her Chaz." Charles tensed all over at Jack's words, "What the fuck do you mean, sold?" Jack's eyes never left Teach's as he explained everything he knew.

"I followed Charlotte when she left the plantation with Teach. I knew something was wrong. Teach led them to the farthest beach on the island and when they got there, Lucian Anderson was waiting for them. Apparently, Teach only showed up to help us, to kidnap Charlotte and ransom her back to her intended. Lucian gave Teach a chest of gold and Teach gave Charlotte to Lucian. They sailed a few hours ago. Teach's plan was to kill Billy to make it look as if they ran off." Charles took in the whole explanation as fury settled deep in his gut. Vane's eyes locked with Teach's as he still sat at the table and all feeling toward the man flew out in to the wind like dust. Edward would die for this betrayal. Vane's voice was low and deadly, "Put down your pistol Jack." Jack lowered the weapon, knowing Charles wasn't going to let Teach walk out of the room alive.

In the blink of an eye, Charles threw the table that was his only barrier to his target and leapt to tackle Teach to the floor. Unfortunately, Teach read his intentions and instead of them rolling to the floor, Edward punched him hard in the stomach, doubling him over. Charles didn't miss a beat, drawing his sword as he stood back up. Teach read that move too as Charles blade struck his own, the clash of steel echoing out in to the night air.

The few men that were close enough to the door peered in, only to see Vane and Teach locked in a deadly hand to hand struggle. The crews didn't need an explanation to fight and soon the men were locked in deadly struggles as well. Charles pressed Teach back until his back hit the bar. Vane pressed into Teach trying to push his sword towards Teach's neck, but Blackbeard was able to throw him back. Panting hard, both parties circled each other watching for an opening.

"All this, for her, Charles?" Edward asked, already winded from the furious pace Charles kept. Vane came at him again, full force, his anger and terror for Charlotte, giving him a purpose he had never had. Blackbeard continued, "She's not worth this Charles. You are better than this. You don't need that bitch. You are better without her."

Each sentence was punctuated by the ringing of Charles' blade striking his own, and Teach was forced to retreat once more. Vane never said a word, as he advanced on Blackbeard. His sword swatting Teach's away as he would a fly. He continued stalking Teach until the man could back away no more, caught between an overturned table and wall. Charles moved in for the kill, but Blackbeard had one more thing to say, "You'll kill me for that whore?"

Charles answered his one-time teacher as he swung his blade, thrusting it through Blackbeard's' chest, deep in to his heart. "I'm killing you Teach because I should have done so a long time ago. This is between you and I. Charlotte was just the last straw."


	15. Prisoner

AN: Thank you to my reviewers, followers, and those who've favorited my story! I hope you continue to enjoy!

/

Charles watched as Teach struggled for his final breath, the light slowly leaving his eyes. He had known it would eventually come to this. When he had first joined on the Queen Anne he had quickly became a favorite of Teach's and they had worked well together, yet, after a while Blackbeard's dominating personality soon clashed with that of his own. The more Charles had learned, adapted, and grown as a leader, the more Blackbeard had sought to control and manipulate until they had come to blows with Charles leaving the Queen Anne and starting his own crew.

Slowly leaning back from the dead man pinned to the wall by his sword, Charles jerked the blade free, letting the lifeless body slide to the floor. His former mentor now nothing but a pile of bones and Charles felt nothing. The sounds of fighting outside filled his ears and he turned to the three standing in the doorway. Billy looked pleased and Jack as well, while Anne looked at him with acceptance, as if she knew this was the only way it could end. Jack spoke as Charles crossed the floor to them, his sword still drawn, "The men have Blackbeard's crew all but subdued outside."

Charles slowed but didn't put his sword away, rage still pounded through his veins, the need to kill clawing its way up his spine. Anne stepped into his line of sight, "Save the rage, Charles. Charlotte needs you thinking clearly now." That slowed him down, the beast inside taking on a whole new level of wrath, but Anne was right. He had to get to Charlotte before anything happened to her. "Tell the men to kill Teach's crew. No survivors. Then get them on board the Ranger," Charles said mounting the steps towards the three.

Jack shook his head, but Billy spoke up, "Why kill them? Some may want to join another crew?" Charles snarled, "Teach's crew were loyal down to their bones and we don't have time to guard prisoners. That order stands. Kill them." Jack spoke up then, "We have another problem." He almost faltered under the menacing glare, Charles shot him, but continued, "The Ranger was badly damaged during the siege. The Queen Anne as well. Neither are seaworthy without repairs that will take at minimum, a week."

Jack had been thinking about these issues as he had hurried to find Vane and while he hated to bring him bad news, he had a solution. Charles snapped, "Then find a fucking ship, Jack!" Jack nodded, "I've already got a solution. The Walrus. Flint knows the situation and said we can take the Walrus." Jack saw the frustration in Charles' eyes. The Walrus, while a good ship, was slower than the Ranger, meaning they might not catch up to Charlotte in time. Anne spoke up, "It's our only option." Charles tensed his shoulders, but nodded. Anne left without another word to tell the crew about the death sentence and the pending voyage.

As Jack and Charles went to follow her, Billy spoke again, "I'm coming with you." Charles spun on him so fast that Billy backed up several steps before he could stop himself. Charles advanced, his fury needing an outlet, and Billy was as good a target as any. "The fuck you are," Charles growled through clenched teeth, as his hand tightened around the handle of his sword. Vane lifted the blade to Billy's throat, watching him swallow hard, but never flinch. "You'll stay the fuck here and when I bring her back, you'll stay the fuck away from her or I'll separate your head from your neck," Charles said, his knuckles turning white from the effort it took to keep from fulfilling his promise instantly. Billy kept his eyes locked on Vane's as he said, "She's a friend, nothing more. She made it clear you were her choice."

Charles weighed the words for a moment, wondering what Billy had done that made Charlotte voice her choice, but secretly pleased that she had done so without him there to see. Before Billy had time to react, Vane slammed his fist that was wrapped around his sword in to Billy's nose. Blood sprayed down the front of Billy as he fell to his back, only to have Charles standing over him with the blade to his throat once more. "I meant what I said. I'll kill you," Vane said, pausing a moment before spinning on his heel. He walked out the door followed by Jack, leaving Billy bleeding on the floor.

The crew of the Ranger was gathered outside, the last remaining stragglers running up to hear Anne as she announced their plans, "We are going to sail the Walrus and bring Charlotte back." Vane's crew wasn't the cheering type, but on the announcement, he saw most of the men growl their anger at the news that Charlotte was in danger. His crew backed this decision a hundred percent and this was confirmed when one of the men stepped forward, saying, "She's one of us. Teach had no right selling her."

Pleased his crew was behind him, Charles set off towards Flint to get his ship and rescue Charlotte.

/

As Charlotte watched Lucian climb the ladder, her desperation threatened to overwhelm her. She knew if she got on the ship that she

would never make it out alive and so she judged the distance to shore. Even with her hands tied, Charlotte thought she could tread water long enough to slip off the bindings at her wrists, then swim to shore. Desperate, she sat up, and just as the other man in the boat reached for her, she slung herself over the side into the dark depths.

As she quickly began to sink, Charlotte kicked her feet hard, propelling herself to the surface, but it was more of a struggle than she thought. The rope tying her hands only became tighter with the water and her legs couldn't push her up fast enough. Her head had just broken the surface for the first time, her breath coming out in gasps, when a strong hand grabbed her by the hair, hauling her out of the water. She twisted, flailing in the grasp when a fist connected with her tender ribs, causing a sickening crunch. Charlotte couldn't help the scream of pain as she was dropped to the bottom of the boat again. "You stupid bitch! I won't allow you to kill yourself before you've been of some use to me," Anderson sneered, once again grabbing her by the hair, dragging her to her feet.

Charlotte tried to stay doubled over, but Lucian forced her upright. "Now, you will cease with your attempts to flee, or kill yourself. Otherwise, I will rethink my decision to let you die before giving me an heir," he snarled, his nose pressed against her ear. Charlottes' stomach rioted at the threat, vomiting up bile and what little she had eaten. Anderson thrust her away quickly, his hand letting go of it's painful grip in her hair. Charlotte staggered to her knees, her breath heaving in and out of her lungs as Anderson demanded, "Get her on board now!"

The crew member nodded, quickly scooting his way around Anderson, grabbing Charlotte by her shoulders and getting her to her feet. The man bent down, putting his shoulder in Charlottes' gut, slinging her across his back as Charlotte screamed again before passing out, her ribs cracking a little more in the movement.

Charlotte came to, just as the man was climbing over the railing and he bent over to sit her down on her feet. Staggering a little at the abrupt change to her equilibrium, Charlotte bumped in to Lucian who stood right behind her. His grip landed on her upper arms, tightening to the point of bruising as he said to a nearby sailor, "Tell the Captain to set sail immediately." The sailor nodded, before turning and hurrying towards the helm. Charlotte tried to make eye contact with some of the crew to plead for help, but none would meet her eyes, telling her they knew what was happening and either didn't care or wouldn't help. Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that threated to fall, she was well and truly alone.

Anderson thrust her forward, breaking her out of her despair. Stumbling towards the stairs that led below, Charlotte winced as her steps jolted her ribcage, but Anderson wouldn't let her slow down. They didn't stop until they reached the hold and Charlotte was a little shocked to find the vast room completely empty, except for a pair of iron shackles on the floor. Charlotte began to stiffen, pulling away from Lucian when he harshly whispered in her ear, "Remember the heir, my dear."

Charlotte couldn't help her reaction. Terror overtook her body and she violently twisted from his grasp, running for the door, but Lucian was too quick. Snagging her again by the hair, her head snapped back so hard it pulled her off her feet. Slamming in to the floor, she lay flat on her back gasping for air, as she felt the whip wounds open and her ribs crush a little more. Before she could move, Lucian drug her by her hair to the shackles.

Kicking her in the shoulder to roll her over, he cut the bindings on her wrists before jerking one arm forward, clamping the cold iron around her wrist with a snap. Her other wrist soon followed and when he was done, Lucian stared down at her crumpled form. "You should have listened, my sweet. I could have ended it quickly for you, but now… now, after all that work to get you, I think I'll enjoy you for a while before I let you die," he said, his eyes sliding over her body.

Charlotte clenched her teeth against more bile, but couldn't move more than that. The pain from her ribs was already making the room swim before her eyes and so she closed them hoping for relief. She didn't hear Lucian leave as she slipped in to the blackness once more.

/

It felt as if ages past before Vane made it to Flint and even longer to get his crew on board, ready to sail. It was nearly dawn before the Walrus weighed anchor in pursuit of her target and although Charles was exhausted, he couldn't sleep. Charlotte was somewhere just ahead and he had to reach her.

His crew had emptied the Walrus of everything except essentials, trying to make up time. None shared in their usual banter, all thinking about the girl who had made such an impact in a short amount of time. Anne and Jack stood near him at the helm, watching the sun crest above the horizon in silence. Charles scrubbed his hand over his face, feeling the roughness of the stubble Charlotte had insisted he keep, saying it made him look even more threatening.

While his thoughts were flying through his head at rapid speed, the actual speed of the Walrus was too slow. Charles knew that at this rate, they wouldn't catch up to Charlotte before they reached South Carolina. He motioned for the man standing ready to take the helm, then turned to go to the Captain's cabin sensing Jack and Anne following.

The three entered the room, Jack coming in last, closing the door behind him. Charles paced the floor from the bed, past the window to the desk and then back again. Anne sat on the edge of the desk as Jack leaned his hands on the back of a chair, both watching Vane. They let him pace for several minutes before Jack spoke, "What do you want to do Charles?"

Vane took a deep breath, but continued pacing as he said, "We aren't going to catch them before they reach South Carolina." Anne and Jack nodded at the truth of the statement, but waited for Charles to continue. "We'll have to stay out of sight and come ashore as we did the last time. Find Charlotte wherever they take her, then sneak her out," Charles said, as he thought about all the possible complications.

Anne spoke, "It will work, Vane. She'll be back on this ship and no worse for her journey." Charles gave her a look that was both doubtful and hopeful. Charlotte was strong. She could make it through this, couldn't she?

/

Charlotte woke slowly, the pain from just trying to breathe bringing her back to consciousness. The rock and sway of the ship told her they were still at sea, and while it was usually a soothing motion, now it just made her sick to her stomach. The longer they sailed with no interruption, the farther she was from Charles and any help.

Slowly opening her eyes, Charlotte couldn't see in the pitch black of the hold, but could sense she was in the same spot she had passed out in, towards the center of the room. Keeping her breaths slow and shallow, Charlotte took stock of her injuries. Her ribs were broken, of that she was absolutely sure. The whip lashes on her back that had been partially healed, were once again bleeding and she could feel the dirt and sweat stinging the open wounds. She tried moving her hands that were above her head and felt the heavy shackles, but was able to bring them down to her sides gently, the chain draped across her hips.

As she lay helpless on the floor, hot tears began leaking down the sides of her face while sobs wracked her body. Unable to take a deep breath to slow the crying, Charlotte alternated between crying for her situation and the pain which infused every cell of her body. Charlotte was startled from her misery, when the door to the hold opened letting in a wash of candle light. Blinded temporarily, Charlotte brought her hands up to shield her face as she peered around her fingers to see the intruder.

A dark chuckle reached her ears as Lucian sat the lantern down not far from her feet. "Tears, my dear," he crooned, as he knelt down by her face, a finger drifting softly down her tear stained cheek. Charlotte jerked back, hissing at the pain in her side, but scuttling back away from the menacing form looming over her. Lucian smirked, standing then stalking her across the floor until her back hit the wall. "You have nowhere to go, my darling. I told you that night when you asked about my other wives that you would be mine and although this is somewhat later than I had planned, I always keep my word," he said as he knelt down next to her once more.

Charlotte recoiled, trying to move away again, but this time Lucian slammed his fist next to her head causing her to freeze, tense all over, waiting for the real blow. Lucian laughed deep this time, "You're already learning to fear me. That's a good girl. This will all go easier for you if you keep that fear." Charlotte shivered in response, gritting her teeth in pain as she said, "My ribs are broken and the cuts on my back are open. If you intend on keeping me alive long enough for our wedding, I need a doctor."

Lucian must have believed her as he grunted, "You'll live my dear. You'll not cheat me out of what I deserve." Grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her forward looking at her back now wet with blood. He let her go without another word and left, leaving the lantern for which Charlotte was grateful. She briefly thought about breaking the lantern to start a fire, but even in her dire situation she had no desire to burn to death. She would have to figure out another way to liberate herself.

It felt as if hours passed before the door to the hold was thrown open once more to admit Lucian and one other man. The man she figured to be the doctor or at least the ships' sawbones, looked to be in his mid-forties with a well-kept appearance and most importantly, clean hands. No matter how she tried, Charlotte couldn't get the man to look her in the eye. Lucian noticed and narrowed his eyes, "You'll find no sympathizers here, sweetheart. These men belong to me."

Charlotte refused to look up at Lucian in acknowledgement and instead addressed the doctor now kneeling beside her, "My ribs are broken and the cuts on my back need cleaned and dressed." The doctor barely nodded as he lifted her shirt off to look at her injuries. When the shirt became caught on the shackles, instead of removing the shackles, Lucian took a knife, cutting the shirt to ribbons. The doctor said nothing at the stunning behavior, instead, averting his eyes from her completely. Charlottes' eyes widened in horror, but despite her shock she was quickly distracted by the sight of her ribs. Charlotte hadn't yet seen her injured ribs and when she looked down, she wasn't surprised to see the deep purple spread from her front to her back and at least six inches down her side.

The doctor moved behind her and gently probed the gashes. Charlotte clenched her jaw, her nostrils flaring at the pain, but kept silent. The doctor then took out a flask of water and rinsed away the blood from her back and when he did nothing more Charlotte asked, "Couldn't you at least rinse it with rum?" The doctor shook his head and said, "There's no need. They'll be fine."

But Charlotte wasn't convinced. The lacerations were bone deep and she had been lucky to escape infection the first time. She didn't think she'd be so lucky again. The doctor took out some bandages and began wrapping her ribs, squeezing them painfully, but after he was through, Charlotte found she could breathe a little easier.

The doctor grabbed his bag and left without a word while Charlotte reached for the remains of her discarded shirt only to have Lucian step down firmly on her hand. Jerking her gaze up to his face while covering herself with her free hand she glared at him. Lucian shook his head slowly, "I warned you not to run. The doctor has now been and says your injuries are not life threatening and I find myself with a certain level of frustration that needs to be relieved."

His eyes drifted over her naked back, down her side and over the tops of her exposed breasts, causing Charlotte to hunch, trying to cover as much as possible. Lucian reached down, grabbing her arm from her breasts and drug her up to standing. Charlotte tried to cover herself with her other hand, but Lucian grabbed the chain connecting her wrists and lifted it up to a hook hanging from the ceiling, leaving her toes barely touching the ground. Charlotte looked up in terror, now noticing that hooks were staggered across the ceiling, meaning she could be hung from anywhere.

She dropped her head again as Lucian's hands covered both breasts, squeezing and pinching painfully. "My dear, we could have had so much fun together," he said, his nose brushing softly against her cheek as his tongue flicked out to lick her chin. Charlotte jerked her head away only to have Lucian laugh as he continued the trail down her neck to her collarbone. Charlotte's mind spun, desperately seeking a way to stop what was about to happen. "Now I suppose it will just be me having fun," his lips whispered against the center of her chest as his hands trailed down over her hips. "Unless that is, you like it rough," his hand reached the juncture of her thighs and she squeezed her legs together trying to prevent his touch.

He bit her nipple in retaliation as he pried her thighs apart. Charlotte jerked her body, trying to dislodge his hands, but he only gripped her harder, "It is a small comfort knowing whatever offspring you produce will have your fighting spirit." Charlotte latched on to the idea of children with a vengeance, seeing a way to stop the current nightmare, at least for a time.

"I'm pregnant!" she all but screamed. Lucian froze and for a moment Charlotte was relieved. His eyes met hers in a glare and she nodded. "It's true. If you touch me now, you'll never know if the child is truly yours or that of Charles Vane," she panted. She hoped the lie held. She knew she wasn't pregnant as she had just had her courses, so if she could get Lucian to believe her it would buy her three weeks.

She didn't expect the anger that flooded his features, "You stupid fucking whore!" The blow to her lower abdomen came as a shock and Charlotte couldn't stop the cry of pain that burst from her, but Lucian wasn't done. More blows rained into her midsection as he continued shouting at her, "You worthless cunt! I knew you were a cock sucking bitch!"

Charlotte swung back on the hook with each blow, only to swing back into the next. Lucian stopped abruptly, breath sawing in and out of his lungs, sweat beading on his forehead. He looked at her limp form dangling from the hook, her head lolling to the side and he said in satisfaction, "You'll not carry that bastard spawn anymore. We'll wait until there's proof and then…well, it will be worse for you now that it would have been."

Lucian ran his hand down her face and Charlotte couldn't find the energy to move away. Dropping his hand, he strode toward the door, picking up the lantern on the way. Charlotte swung limply, barely clinging to consciousness as she heard him say, "Sleep well, my dear," before closing the door, leaving her in darkness once more.


	16. Corpse

AN: Thank you readers, reviewers, favorites, and followers! I appreciate you all so much and I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know you are still enjoying! Sorry for the short chapter, but this once is so full of drama that I kind of had to leave it where it is! Please let me know what you think!

/

Charlotte didn't know how long she was unconscious, swinging from the hook in the darkness of the hold. Her arms ached. Her back felt as if it were on fire. Her ribs were a dull, throbbing ache, and now her stomach felt as if she'd been trampled by horses. She swung a little with the sway of the ship and let her misery wash over her. Tears flowed unhindered down her cheeks, as she sobbed out her pain.

She didn't hear the footsteps approaching over her crying, so she jumped when the door to the hold swung wide admitting an older sailor carrying a tray with a candle. Charlotte's instinct was to cover herself, but with no shirt and her hands bound she could only suffer the humiliation. The sailor didn't look at her as he sat the tray in the middle of the floor and kept his eyes downcast as he approached her. As he reached up to the chain connecting her hands, he kept his eyes focused on it, despite her soft whispered pleas.

"You have to help me. I'll die down here if you do not. Please. I can't die like this," Charlotte begged the man as he freed the chain from the hook. Her legs weren't ready to support her weight all at once and so she crumpled to the floor, her arms stinging as blood began to reenter them. The sailor didn't do anything except spin on his heel, leaving without a word. For a moment, Charlotte stayed where she was, letting her head rest on the floor in acceptance. Whatever the reason, none of the crew were going to help her.

When her arms regained their feeling, she slowly stood from the floor gaining her bearings. She shuffled towards the tray that she now saw contained bread and some sort of stew. Knowing that she would need her strength, Charlotte knelt down and took the candle off the tray, leaving it in the center of the room as she took the tray to a dark corner. Despite being hungry, she forced herself to eat slowly, not knowing if her abused stomach would hold the contents.

After she had cleaned the tray of every crumb, she huddled in to the corner to try to sleep. There was no guessing what was in store for her in the coming days and the longer she stayed in the hold the less optimistic she was that there was any other way out than as a corpse. Exhausted, Charlotte barely laid down before she was sound asleep, regardless of the hopeless thoughts running though her head.

She awoke sometime later to another tray being brought by the same sailor. Again, he said nothing and would not look at her no matter how she pleaded. After empting her tray once more, she fell in to a fitful sleep where she saw Charles in the hangman's noose as before except this time she had no rifle to free him. She woke with a start just as he hit the end of the rope, sweat beading on her forehead. Charlotte shivered at the stark terror she felt and curled in to herself, hugging her knees.

Despite the humidity of the hold, she felt as if a cold breeze were blowing on her. Fear reentered her mind as she held up the back of her hand to her forehead. The skin felt as if it were on fire and as an icy chill shivered up her spine, Charlotte's fear was confirmed. She had a fever from infected wounds. Twisting around to look at her back, she could just catch a glimpse of the raised flesh around the wounds. An angry red color, streaked by white made her stomach turn and she reached her hand around to try to touch them. Her fingers came away with the white streaks which were pus.

Millions of thoughts flew through Charlotte's mind, but as she thought about Charles repeatedly, a resolve settled over her. She wasn't going to see him ever again. That fate had been cruelly taken from her, but she didn't regret any of her new life. She wouldn't change leaving England, joining the pirates, or meeting Charles. She couldn't change the infection spreading across her back, or the fact that she was going to die on board this ship, but she was going to change one thing.

Lucian Anderson was going to die on this ship as well.

Charlotte stood slowly, her head swimming in protest, but she continued until she was upright. Once she was standing, she made her way to the candle that had been her refuge and comfort in the bleak, empty hold and blew it out leaving the space in darkness once more. Charlotte walked until she was positioned behind the hold door then slowly sat down, her legs extended in front of her. She then lifted her arms straight out in front of her and spread them as far as the chain would allow. The chain stretched about two feet from wrist to wrist and Charlotte smiled to herself in the shadows, her plan formed in her mind. The next time Lucian Anderson stepped in to the hold, it would be his last day on earth.

/

Charlotte came in and out of dozing, trying to never fall in to a deep sleep. This turned out to be easy as the fever intensified, causing her body to ache almost unbearably. She prayed that Lucian would soon make an appearance before her strength left her entirely, leaving her too weak to complete her plan. Whether it was luck, fate, or answered prayers, Lucian soon entered the hold.

Charlotte had just begun to fall asleep when the door swung open and his voice called in to the dark, startling her, making her heart race in fear, "My dear, did the gift of the candle I sent not please you, or do you like scurrying around in the dark like the mouse you are?"

Charlotte gritted her teeth, slowly easing her way in to a crouched position as silently as possible. Lucian's silhouette stood just inside the open door, not two feet from her, but his eyes had not yet adjusted to the dark as hers had and Charlotte knew she'd get no better opportunity. Her strength was already failing, but she would succeed in this. In a smooth, fluid movement that defied all odds, Charlotte leapt from the shadows on to Lucians' back, snaking the chain around his neck once in a loop so tight that her hands barely came together.

Charlotte locked her fingers together, pulling on the chain with every ounce of strength she had left as Anderson stumbled around the hold, clawing at the chain and her hands, strangled noises gurgling out of his open mouth. His fingernails left fiery trails down her arms and hands, slicking them with blood. She gripped his waist with her thighs, her legs wrapped around him in a vice as she leveraged herself back putting all her weight against the chain. Lucian stumbled toward a wall, turning his back to it he slammed Charlotte against it with all his might trying to dislodge her.

She was ready for the blow and despite the excruciating, white hot pain that flayed her back open once more, she held on to her death grip, defying his attempt to shake her off. He slammed her in to the wall three more times, each time getting weaker and weaker until he stumbled to his knees. Charlotte's head was growing foggy from the fever and the pain, but she held on knowing she could die in peace when she knew Lucian would never terrorize another woman again.

Eventually, they fell to a heap on the floor with Lucian on top of her, his arms and legs haphazardly spread. Not taking any chances that he had just passed out, Charlotte gave one last push of strength, jerking on the chain until she heard the bones in his neck snap. With that sound, Charlotte let out a huge breath of relief, the tension completely leaving her body. He was dead and he would never do anything like this again to anyone. She tried to move the body, but when she began to lift her arms she found she didn't even have the strength for that. She realized that she was going to die with the weight of his corpse crushing her and she began laughing hysterically.

After everything she had been through, she was going to die half-naked under a man she had fled from and then killed. Laughing so hard that tears ran down her face, Charlotte lost consciousness a few moments later, the pain and fever taking her under for the final time.


	17. Hanging

AN: I love you all! Haha, seriously you guys make me smile every time I read a review, see a new favorite or follow. It makes my day! As always, I hope you continue to read and enjoy my story!

/

A soft, warm breeze rustled the loose hair around her face, tickling her cheeks, warm from the sun. Charlotte smiled, her eyes closed against the bright sun, listening to the waves of the ocean lap gently at her feet. Contentment filled her every fiber as she tilted her face up to the light, hearing her children laugh as they ran along the beach. They came to a halt right beside her, her daughter, the eldest, staying upright while her son sprawled across her lap, bouncing as he crawled up to put his tiny hands on either side of her face.

Opening her eyes, Charles stared back at her from the tiny little face that was a replica of his own. Charlotte smiled, kissing the little boy on the nose, "What have you come to tell me, my darlings?" Her daughter spoke, bouncing from foot to foot in her excitement, "Da's back!" Charlotte grinned back at her daughter, her excitement matching theirs, "Then we'd better hurry!" Her son scrambled off her lap and they both called out in impatience as Charlotte dusted the sand from her pants, "Come on mum! Hurry!"

Charlotte laughed as she broke in to a slow run, calling to them, "I'll race you!" They were soon close on her heels and she let them pull ahead as they rounded the corner of the beach and the Ranger came in to view. The crew was unloading the cargo on to the beach and despite the crowd, Charles stood out among the rest. "Da! You're back!" the children called out, flinging their arms wide as they ran to him. The most beautiful sight she'd ever seen came next as Charles turned to them, opening his own arms, scooping the children close as he spun them laughing.

He set them back down on the sand, as his eyes rose to meet her own. Charlotte's breath caught in her throat as his eyes heated and he stepped toward her. Suddenly Charlotte couldn't wait another second to be in his arms, feeling as if it had been a lifetime and that she might not ever get to again, she flung her arms around him. Just as his arms closed around her, pulling her tight, Charlotte was brought out of Heaven and back to reality.

Feet shuffled around her and voices whispered, muffled and far away. She didn't have the energy to open her eyes or make a sound. Her body felt as if it were both on fire and dipped in ice, and the aches were so deep that they felt a part of her bones. Someone took a heavy weight off her chest allowing her to breathe easier, but she couldn't so much as twitch an eyelid in gratitude. Slowly, Charlotte drifted back to Heaven in Charles arms, as the men around her decided her fate.

/

What Charlotte didn't know was that Lucian Anderson's crew had just discovered their employer had been killed. The man that had been bringing her food, risked the wrath of his employer to bring him the news that they had just pulled in to port in Charlestown. The sailor didn't know what to make of the open door and as he slowly made his way inside he called out, "Sir?"

When there was no answer, he stepped farther in the room holding the candle out farther, searching each corner.

As the light from the candle reached the left corner of the room, he wasn't prepared for the grotesque scene that was illuminated. His employer or rather former employer, lay sprawled face-up, limbs askew, and face contorted in to a hideous scream. The sailor quickly turned, fleeing the hold to find help. A few moments later, the Captain, accompanied by the port authorities that he had been speaking to, followed the terrified sailor below. The sailor refused to enter the hold and only motioned the others inside.

The Captain shook his head at the nonsense, expecting to find his employer rutting as was his usual with a woman on board, and that the sailor had just imagined the man dead. He was not expecting the image before him. He first noticed Mr. Anderson's eyes, as they were bugging out of his head quite far, and his tongue dangling out of his mouth. He then noticed that the body of the woman was underneath, with the chain from her wrists wrapped around Mr. Anderson's throat. He was just beginning to think that she was dead as well when he saw the slight rise and fall of her chest. Anger welled up in him at the thought of his ample paycheck being stolen away by a female and for a moment he could think of nothing else.

As the Captain was taking this in, the authorities behind him moved farther in, immediately covering their mouths, saying, "Holy fucking hell! What is this!?" The Captain recovered, a plan quickly forming in his mind, "My employer has been murdered! That piece of filth with her hands wrapped around his neck is a pirate we captured trying to steal from us!" The men looked around the stiff corpse to the small female that lay below and raised an eyebrow. Had they not seen the chain attached to her wrists themselves, they would never have believed it.

The older of the men turned to the Captain, "Are you bringing formal charges against her, then?" The Captain nodded firmly, "She's a pirate and a murder. I want her hung." The men moved closer to the two bodies, looking them over before turning away towards the door, "We'll have soldiers take her in to custody if she's still alive and take her to the prison. If she lives long enough, we'll hang her in a few days." The Captain smiled tightly, happy to at least have retribution, but still pissed over the change in his employment.

/

Charlotte was once again in her Heaven. Charles had just put the children in bed and although Charlotte felt it was an unbelievable scenario, she reveled in the peaceful feeling inside the house. Drying the last dish she had just cleaned, she felt Charles's arms snake around her from behind, pulling her close. As his mouth found the top of her shoulder, Charlotte relaxed in to him, letting her head fall to the side so that he had better access.

As his mouth traveled up the side of her neck, his hands traveled up her sides and under her breasts. She couldn't hold back the moan as the feel of his hands on her had her long-banked desire flaring to life. He had been gone for almost a month and she had missed him terribly. She felt the solid length of him pressed into her and had to quickly set down the plate before her shaking hands dropped it to the floor.

Charles gripped her hips, spinning her around to face him as his mouth claimed hers in a powerful kiss. She could smell the sun and sea clinging to him, and it was an aphrodisiac to her senses, that unmistakable scent that was purely him. Charlotte clung to him, letting him sweep her away, up in to the flames of need he was fanning. Unable to wait, she ripped his shirt over his head, sprinkling kisses over his torso and flicking her tongue out to taste him.

She heard him growl a warning as she neared the edge of his pants, stroking her hand over him through the rough fabric. Charlotte only smiled and continued her exploration, untying his pants and slowly drawing them down over his thighs. The sight of him fully aroused had her ready for him in an instant, but she wanted to watch him reach his pleasure before taking her own. Charles had a different idea however, and she quickly found herself pulled to her feet.

It took him no time at all to strip her bare, and Charlotte found herself marveling at the speed in which her clothes disappeared. Before she could protest the change in her plans, Charles mouth was claiming hers once more, as if it was the last time he'd ever get to. Charlotte didn't know where the desperation came from, but she found it driving her to cling to him, holding him as close as she could. Charles gripped her ass, pulling her up until she wrapped her legs around him, then turned toward the table in the middle of the room. Laying her flat, he licked his way down, taking time to lavish each breast with his tongue, forming them in to tight peaks before moving lower still.

His nose tickled her belly button before he slowly knelt to the ground, spreading her thighs wide over his shoulders. His fingers soon found the little bud above her core and the slow, light circles he drew over the sensitive nub soon had her writhing on the table, begging for more. He moved his hand so that while he pressed two fingers in to her wet center, his thumb continued the circles above. Charlotte couldn't stand the pleasure, her moans and whimpers of ecstasy growing louder with each thrust and circle of his hand. When she thought it could get no better, his mouth replaced his hand, his tongue sliding in and out of her while his nose pressed against her swollen bud. She came apart within moments as he held on to her hips, letting her ride out the pleasure on his tongue.

He gave her no rest as he came to his feet, his hand on his cock stroking slowly as he stood at her entrance. Charlotte reached out for him with need despite her recent high as Charles slid in to her to the hilt, burying himself as far in as he could go, his spine flexing as he pushed in to her. They both sighed in relief, each feeling finally at home as he began moving deep within her. Charlotte wrapped her legs around his waist, her heels digging in to his ass to keep him as close as possible. Their rhythm causing the table to squeak in protest as each of Charles's thrusts pushed it across the floor. His pace didn't slow until the table stopped moving as it slammed in to the wall.

Startled, Charlotte looked around and then laughed when she realized what had happened. For a moment Charles was annoyed at the laughter, but soon chuckled himself as he rested on his elbows above his wife. He looked down at her smiling face and once again felt his heart leave his chest at her beauty. "I've missed you," he whispered against her lips as he thrust his hips, taking her more deeply. Charlotte moaned at the feeling, bringing her legs up higher as she answered, "I missed you as well." Their pace soon became faster than before, each thoroughly enjoying the feel of the other, but unwilling to wait out the pleasure. Charles felt her begin to tighten around him, holding back his own release until she was with him. A few moments later her spasm called out his own, and Charles fell limply on top of Charlotte, the table supporting them both.

Charlotte, stroked Charles's hair as he relaxed on top of her, just enjoying the feel of her husband. All at once the weight was gone even though the image of Charles remained. Confused, Charlotte tried to sit up but found she couldn't and her panic had her re-entering reality, leaving her Heaven behind.

/

Soldiers boarded the ship not long after the port authorities left, making their way down to the hold as directed by the ships' Captain. They had been informed about what to expect and so they were not as shocked as the previous men had been. It took a little effort to get the two untangled as the body of Lucian Anderson had begun to stiffen. Although the woman underneath didn't respond, the rise and fall of her bare chest indicated she was still alive, if only barely and so the soldiers set her up, unlocking her hands long enough to put a shirt over her before locking her hands again and dragging her off the ship between them.

Their orders were to take her straight to the prison to await sentencing, so they pulled her through the town while curious townsfolk came out to see what was happening. Charlotte was unaware of most of it, only knowing that she was being moved, but by who and why she had no idea. She was vaguely aware of entering a building and being set down on a floor again before silence enveloped her again. She stayed in this semi-form of consciousness until the next day when she was again hauled between two people outside and then back to another building.

To everyone, Charlotte appeared to be all but dead, barely clinging to life and it was the truth. Charlotte didn't know that she was standing before a judge who was being informed by Lucian's Captain about the incident. She only surfaced enough once to answer a direct question which was from the judge, "Did you kill Lucian Anderson?" Proud that she had accomplished that, Charlotte tried to nod as she answered a firm yes. She vaguely heard gasps from behind her and the whispers of people close by before she blacked out once more.

She awoke on the cold stone floor of the jail, able to blink her eyes and move her head slowly this time. She was devoid of all strength and could only catch glimpses of her new situation as she began thinking about what happened. She couldn't fathom why she hadn't yet died, her spirit desperately wanting to stay in her Heaven where she wasn't in pain, but her logical mind responded, fiercely reminding her that she could still have a version of her Heaven here on Earth if she'd only stay around to fight for it.

Charlotte thought about Charles and how her death might affect the pirate Captain. She was sure that she meant something more to Charles and she wanted to know just how much more. Charlotte held fast to the slight hope that she would survive to see him again, the thought of his face as she ran to him giving her a light at the end of the tunnel.

The light was quickly extinguished the following morning as soldiers appeared in the doorway of her cell. Charlotte could do no more than blink at the men, wanting to ask what was happening but unable. They entered the cell, one grabbing her by each arm before dragging her forward and out to her fate. Charlotte faded in and out of consciousness as they drug her from the building and down the street, although she thought she heard jeering and boos from a crowd not far away. Once, as she struggled to pull her head up, she thought she saw Charles looking back at her from a group of people, but before she could get a better look her strength ran out and her head swung back down, limp on her neck.

Charlotte didn't try to look up again until she entered in to what looked like a town square, full of people surrounding a gallows. Disbelief filled her as she now realized what the question about Lucian's death had meant. She had signed her own death warrant and had she the strength, she would have shaken her head at her own stupidity. The crowd parted around the soldiers and she began to hear the jeers, "Pirate whore! Dirty, fucking, bitch! Murderer!"

Charlotte felt her feet being drug up the steps to the platform and couldn't believe that this would be how her life ended. She had thought to die in the hold with Anderson, instead she felt the rope being placed around her neck as the sun beat down on her feverish head. Her hands were still chained in front of her and as she stood in front of the crowd, the soldiers having to hold her up on each side so she didn't drop to the floor, she heard them read her crimes.

"On this day, the 18th of July in the year of our Lord 1715, the governor of Charlestown hereby sentences this pirate to hang for the murder of Mr. Lucian Anderson," the rotund, little man on the dais across from her read, his voice ringing across the square. Charlotte was able to crack a small smile, if they only knew of the countless other killings she had carried out over the past few months they might try hanging her twice.

As she prepared to meet her end, she sent a quick prayer that Charles would be ok and that he would know somehow, how much she loved him. Just as she was closing her eyes not wanting to see the final nod that would doom her, cannon fire rocked the square. People scattered in the chaos of chunks of buildings flying everywhere not to mention the body parts of the few people who were directly hit. Charlotte's eyes popped wide just in time to see twin blades stab through the chests of the soldiers holding her. Unable to keep herself upright without assistance, Charlotte began to crumple towards the floor when a strong arm snagged her around her waist, pulling her against a solid frame.

Looking down, Charlotte let out a ragged cry from her parched throat as she recognized the forearm. "Shhh, I've got you now," Charles deep voice growled softly in her ear. Charlotte wanted to cry in relief, but it would have taken too much strength so she simply said, "Don't leave me, please," as she felt the rope being removed from her neck. Charles began dragging her to the stairs as he held her close in to his side with one arm, his blade in the other, "Never, Charlotte. I swear."


	18. Rescue

AN: Hey readers! Sorry for the long wait on this chapter, but I had to think of exactly how this story was going to end. I kicked around a couple of ideas and I kept coming back to this story line so I hope you all enjoy! There are still a few chapters left!

/

Charles barely slept on the way to South Carolina. The last time he had been there was to save Flint and they had barely made it out alive. He paced the deck, a caged animal looking for someone to kill, but the crew was subdued, all occupied with their own thoughts about the rescue. He'd seen these men this serious only once before and they had killed everyone on that beach and mutilated the corpses for the savage pleasure.

It was mid-morning now, growing in to noon quickly. They would arrive at their previously discussed location around dusk, where they would drop him, Anne and a few select others on to the beach to find Charlotte, while Jack took the ship and the rest of the crew to set up off the coast for the best angle to bombard the city just as they had done with Flint. For a moment, Charles thought about how much his life had changed since he had stolen Flint's ship then saved the man. Now, here he was in the same place on the same ship, rescuing someone who was quickly becoming the most important person in his life. Dark couldn't come soon enough for Charles.

Eventually they did arrive and soon he, Anne and the others were picking their way along the beach looking for a deserted alleyway to slip in to town. When they spotted one, they quickly filed in to the dark space then branched out separately from there. The plan was to locate Charlotte, then regroup on the beach to discuss the rescue.

Charles nodded to Anne as they split, taking opposite directions. Charles walked past a few groups of people before he caught wind of Charlotte, however it was not at all what he expected to hear. A couple of women taking in their clothes from the line between their homes were loudly whispering about "that pirate whore", and Charles stopped immediately. Leaning casually against one of the buildings close by he strained to hear their conversation.

"Can you believe a woman so evil? You know they say they found her half naked?" the shorter of the two women said as the other shook her head and tittered.

"Not only naked, but laying underneath the man! The shackles on her wrists wrapped so tight around the poor man's throat they had to cut his head off just to remove them!" the shorter woman said with no small amount of glee as the other shrieked in horror.

"Oh Betsy, why must you say such things!"

Betsy shook her head, "I only tell the truth, but what can you expect from some pirate whore? I heard her confession meself when they brought her before the judge. He asked her plain as day if she killed him." Betsy shuddered now for effect as she continued, "Saw the evil smile on the pirates' face as she admitted it, I did!"

Charles heart hammered in his chest, his pulse so loud in his ears he thought he would miss the rest of what the women were saying.

"…hung tomorrow, I hear. And good riddance, I say. Can't have murderesses running about." Charles didn't stick around to hear more.

If Charlotte was going to be hung tomorrow, and he was sure that is who they were talking about, he didn't have a minute to spare.

On his way back to the beach, he met one of his crew and sent him to find the others while he went in search of Anne. He found her a few streets over, close to the town square looking for him. When she saw him approaching, he knew she knew about Charlotte's hanging.

"I know. I overheard two women talking. We need to get back to the beach…" Charles trailed off as Anne shook her head. "Follow me," was all she said as she turned to her right and strode off into the shadows behind a row of buildings. The streetlamps were only lit on the sidewalks around the front of the buildings and so they were relatively safe in the dark, only criminals like themselves sticking to the inky blackness.

Charles caught up to her as she stopped by a stack of boxes behind a building. Before he could speak, Anne motioned to the boxes and said, "You need to see her first." The look in her eyes as they bored in to his, had him cold down to his soul. Without hesitation, Charles scaled the boxes and peered through the barred window. His fists locked around the bars so tight his knuckles turned white and a soft groan escaped his chest.

All he could see of Charlotte was her blood soaked back. She was curled in the middle of the bare floor in the empty cell, visibly shaking. He fought the urge to call out her name and was grateful he did as a guard walked past the cell, laughing at Charlotte's misery. Charles vowed to remember the man's face tomorrow. Charlotte rolled over in an effort to seek comfort and Charles watched, helpless as she cried out in pain as her back made contact with the cold stone. She turned all the way over until she faced the window where he stood, her eyes glazed over with fever and pain and Charles sucked in his breath.

If he thought her back was bad it was nothing compared to her face and what he could see of her abdomen where her shirt was raised. Her arms were coated in dried blood, deep gashes running from her wrists up in to the sleeves of her shirt and the left side of her face was a mass of purple, green, and black. Her abdomen matched the color of her face and Charles felt his own stomach roll in revolt.

The illness was instantly replaced with a hatred and anger he hadn't known since he left his own slavery behind. He couldn't kill Anderson. His incredible Charlotte had taken care of that herself, but the town that now condemned her would feel his wrath. He'd level the town until there was nothing left. He'd bathe in their blood and screams tomorrow as he took Charlotte back to where she belonged.

Charles didn't bother climbing back down, instead he leapt, landing in front of Anne who didn't blink an eye. The rage he felt inside was mirrored in her own and she understood his plan at once. "I was hoping that's what you would do," was all she said as they made their way to the beach to inform the crew of the impending slaughter.

/

Charles sent one man back to the ship to tell Jack on the signal to unleash everything and to not stop until there was nothing left. He and the rest waited out the long night, keeping to the shadows around the town square where the already standing gallows gave off a feeling of impending doom. A stark reminder that they could all meet their fates tomorrow. Charles plan was simple, a man would scale the tallest building with a flag to signal Jack while the rest would rush the platform in hopes that they could reach Charlotte before the floor dropped from beneath her.

The next morning as the crowd began to form, Charles found himself at the entrance to the town square as Charlotte was brought in by two guards. She couldn't even stand up and Charles clenched his jaw as they drug her through the street. His hand flexed on his sword when he saw Charlotte turn her head in his direction as the crowd jeered. He tried to catch her eye to reassure her, but she didn't even have the strength to hold her head up.

He followed closely, shoving anyone who crossed his path drawing a few outraged cries, but not caring. They'd all be dead soon enough.

He was right beside the steps when they began reading the charges as they laid the rope around her neck. Charles looked up at the man already on top of the building and nodded his head. Not a second later, chaos erupted, Jack unleashing hell upon the unsuspecting crowd. Buildings exploded, shrapnel shredding through the people and Charles didn't waste a moment of the confusion. Throwing off the coat that had concealed his weapons, Charles drew his sword as he and Anne mounted the steps. The guards holding Charlotte were so distracted by the scene they never knew what happened.

Charles watched with no small amount of satisfaction as they crumpled to the floor, but quickly focused on Charlotte as she began to fall as well. Scooping her against his body with one arm he heard her cry out and sought to reassure her, "Shhh, I've got you now." It felt incredible to hold her again and for a brief second, Charles let himself breathe a sigh of relief that he had reached her in time. Her soft plea for him not to leave her, struck a nerve deep inside and as he removed the rope from her neck and made his way to the stairs he made a vow, "Never, Charlotte. I swear."

Charles knew then that as long as she wanted him, he was hers, body and soul. Slicing through any opposition they met, Charles felt renewed with purpose and he and Anne were almost out of the town square when the sound of the guns stopped. It took them a minute to realize this even though the noise from incoming cannons disappeared. They continued fighting their way out, wondering what had happened to Jack when the only person who could stop Vane stepped in to the road, backed by a battalion's worth of soldiers; The Admiral of the Fleet and Charlotte's true father, Sir Stafford Fairborne.

"That's enough Vane!" the man called as Charles sliced the throat of a soldier coming at him, and what do you know, the man now gurgling in his own blood was the man from the night before. Charles locked eyes with Fairborne, his blade raised in front of Charlotte, protecting her. Charlotte was all but unconscious, her head lolling on his shoulder, but her hands were clenched around his forearm in a death grip. "Put down your weapons and turn over my goddaughter," Fairborne called out, as soldiers stepped around him, approaching Anne and Charles. Charles raised his blade in warning and they stopped unsure of what to do.

Vane considered his options. Under no circumstance was he letting go of Charlotte, but with the wave of new soldiers and what he now suspected was the capture of the Walrus he couldn't drag an ill Charlotte around hoping for an escape. Slowly lowering his sword, Charles dropped it on the ground and heard Anne's hit the dirt as well, as she moved closer to him. Charlotte whimpered in his arms, and he adjusted her more firmly against him, taking more of her weight now that he had both hands free.

Fairborne nodded and approached followed closely by the soldiers. When he was a few feet in front of them he reached for Charlotte saying, "She needs immediate medical attention. Let her go and I may let you see her again before I hang you." Charles snarled, gripping Charlotte tighter, "If it weren't for me, she'd be swinging from a noose right now!"

Fairborne snapped, "She wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for you!" Reaching out for Charlotte again, Fairborne's hand closed over her wrist, tugging her toward him. Charles felt a bayonet in his back and still for a second he refused to let her go. Before he could do anything, Charlotte surfaced enough to fight back. Screaming, she jerked her wrist back from Fairborne, "No!" Charlotte spun in his arms, her own clinging around his neck as she sobbed in to his shoulder, "Please don't leave me, Charles. Don't let him take me, please."

Charles ignored everything around him and focused on Charlotte, running his hand down her hair he whispered, "I swore, Charlotte. I'm not going anywhere unless they kill me." Charlotte shivered violently in his arms, barley nodding before she passed out. Charles scooped her up in his arms, then looked at Fairborne, silently challenging him to do anything to upset Charlotte when she needed medical care.

Fairborne hissed out his hatred, but waved away the soldiers from Charles. "Follow me. There is a doctor waiting at a home nearby." Fairborne turned to the soldiers around Anne and said, "Take her to a cell. Post a guard. Do not leave her unattended." Charles growled, about to protest when Fairborne cut it, "Save it, Vane. You'll only be free long enough for Charlotte to let go of you without a fight, then you'll be joining Miss Bonney." Charles could see no way out of the situation and his concern for Charlotte took up most of his thought process, so he followed the Admiral without further protest after Anne nodded her acceptance to him.

The soldiers at his back would have made him itch for a fight, but the deathly pallor of Charlotte's face drove all thoughts out except for getting her to a doctor. The Admiral didn't say another thing to him as they quickly approached a well-appointed house just a few streets away. Still the Admiral said nothing as he motioned for Charles to follow him up the grand staircase of the house to a bedroom just to the right. Upon entering the bedroom, Vane noticed a doctor laying out medical tools and slowly lowered Charlotte to the oversized bed.

As he began to slide his arms away, Charlotte whimpered, rolling towards him, clutching at his arms. He heard the Admiral growl, clearly hating that his daughter was clinging to a criminal, but Charles didn't give a fuck what the man thought. If Charlotte wanted him to stay then the Admiral could take a flying leap out that window before Charles left her.

Holding her hand in both of his, Charles knelt beside the bed and stroked Charlottes dark, matted hair from her dirt-stained cheek. Her skin was hot to his touch despite the sickly, sallow color under the dirt and Charles found himself praying to who or whatever would listen that she would live. The doctor paused before beginning his treatment, looking to the Admiral for direction about the unknown man clutching the young woman's hand. The Admiral waved the man on as he sat down in a chair by the window. Charles gaze never left Charlotte's face through the doctor's examination and treatment and he was hopeful by the strength with which she clutched his hand in her own. There was strength in her still and Charles whispered words of encouragement telling her just how much she needed to live.

The doctor was finished just as the sun was setting and the Admiral stood to see the doctor out, "How is she doing?" The doctor paused from wiping his last instrument as he glanced from Charles to Fairborne, "She's a remarkable young woman to have survived as long as she has. An infection such as hers usually kills its victims within a few days even if treated. I'd say she's been fighting that infection for at least a week, possibly longer, and she's still alive. If the fever lessens in a days' time, I'd be willing to say she'll live, but as of now it is too soon to tell."

Fairborne clenched his jaw and nodded, but Charles kept Charlottes hand pressed to his chest over his heart, while stroking the top of her forehead as he'd been doing the entire time. He didn't care what the doctor said, she would live. The doctor finished packing his things and left the two men alone with the unconscious woman.

Fairborne approached the other side of the bed, but Charles never looked at him. The Admiral stood silent for a time, watching Vane with his daughter, but despite the tenderness he saw in the pirates' face his mind was made up. "As soon as her fever breaks you'll be taken to the prison," Fairborne said.

He expected anything from the famed pirate except for the answer he received, "Thank you." Charles still didn't look at him and the Admiral asked, "For what?" Charles looked at him then, "For letting me stay until I know she's all right." The Admiral cleared his throat, uncomfortable, "Yes, well…" They trailed off in to silence, both watching Charlotte's shallow breathing until the candles burned down to stubs and the sun rose slowly above the horizon.


	19. Capable

AN: AHHH! Hello my awesome readers! Sorry for the wait, but as always I hope you enjoy this chapter! I love writing this story and I'm so glad you like it too! Please review if you have the time, but thank you again for just reading!

/

Charles dabbed the cool rag over Charlotte's forehead. The movement felt both strange and yet comforting to him. The Admiral had retired to the rocking chair by the window some hours before and was now softly snoring as the candle on the bedside table burned low. Charlotte's fever had broken just a short while ago, but Charles was reluctant to stop touching her. He held her hand in his and it felt so much more fragile now than it had a few weeks ago.

In the hours, he had been kneeling next to the bed, Charles had been preoccupied with Charlotte's condition, but now that she was out of danger he focused on his own impending problem. He had no doubt that the Admiral meant what he had said about sending him to prison and eventually hanging him. He was the Lord Admiral of England and Charles was a pirate. No matter what happened between them personally, those lines were drawn deep in the sand.

He could try to break away from whatever guard was sent to escort him to the prison, but even if he escaped he would be trapped until he could locate a ship ready to sail. Not to mention Anne, Jack and the rest of his crew that was already imprisoned. As he sat thinking over his options, dawn arrived without him knowing and with it ten armed guards and shackles. There would be no escape.

A servant came to wake the Admiral to let him know that the escort had arrived and as the Admiral rubbed his eyes, he walked to the side of the bed opposite Charles. He placed his hand gently on Charlotte's head as he said, "Her fever has broken." Charles heard him mumble a quiet, thank God, under his breath as he stood up once again. Charles didn't look up at Fairborne, instead, he kept his eyes on Charlotte as he rubbed his thumb across the top of her hand.

Fairborne cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the situation, but having no other option. An entire town had seen Captain Vane lay waste to the townsquare and murder his way through the crowd, he had to be brought to justice. Charles stood up slowly from the position he had been in all night, his eyes drinking in Charlotte's features one last time. Even with the bruises and cuts, she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He leaned down by her ear one last time and whispered low, "I love you."

As he began to set her hand down on the quilt, he felt her hand tighten around his. He felt her grip all the way to his soul and his heart squeezed painfully as she whimpered when his hand slipped away from hers. Charlottes' hand searched the bed for his and Charles had to clench his jaw tight to keep from reaching for her again.

The Admiral was smart and let Charles take his time with leaving. After a few moments more of watching Charlotte, Charles turned towards the door and never looked back. She was safe and would be taken care of which was all that Charles wanted at this point. As he stepped out in to the hall, the soldiers waiting didn't spare a moment to clap the iron around his wrists and ankles. The others held pistols pointed and ready, there really would be no escape.

Before they could march him down the stairs, the Admiral spoke to him, "I am sorry it must end this way, Vane." Vane watched as the older man struggled with what to say. "I am grateful that you were able to reach her in time," Fairborne said reluctantly. Charles knew what the man meant as he had said as much the day before. Fairborne would always blame Charles for Charlotte leaving in the first place, but he was thankful that he had saved her from being hung. Charles didn't say anything, but let the soldiers lead him down the stairs and out the front door towards the prison which might be the last place he ever saw.

/

Charlotte couldn't stop the nightmare. Over and over she watched as Charles was lead to the gallows and hung all while she stood immobile on a rooftop with a rifle in her hands. She couldn't lift the gun no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't scream for help and she couldn't turn to run to him. All she could do was stand there and watch him die as tears streamed down her face. At one point, she thought she could hear him whisper, "I love you", but the sounds faded to quickly for her to be sure.

The temperature of the day had seemed to drop even though she still stood in the sun, but now a cool breeze seemed to blow and her skin felt damp from water instead of sweat. Curious at the change, Charlotte looked around but could tell no difference until she saw the people begin to blur. Suddenly, she could hear people talking near her but the conversation sounded like something not from her dream.

"Can't believe their going to hang the poor bloke," a voice sounded off to her right and Charlotte felt her right arm being lifted. "I know. Even if he's a pirate, he still saved Miss Charlotte from hanging," another voice answered from her left as her left leg was lifted.

"He might be a pirate, but you're right. He saved Miss Charlotte and I think the Admiral ought to take that into consideration, her being his goddaughter and all," the one on the right replied. Charlotte tried to follow the conversation, but she couldn't figure out who they were talking about and so she let the conversation fade away as she slipped in to blackness.

/

Though Charlotte didn't know, two days passed between Charles being taken to prison and her return to consciousness. Slowly blinking her eyes against the bright morning sun peaking above the window sill, Charlotte once again found herself listening to a conversation about hanging. "Have you 'eard when they plan to hang 'em," a girl asked as she put away a stack of something or other in a drawer beside the bed. "Not yet, though I don't think it will be too far away. Can't really leave a boat load of pirates in a small jail such as we have, now can you," a woman answered as she hung up some clothing in the wardrobe.

Charlottes' attention was immediately caught and she struggled to sit up as she rasped out, "Who is being hung?" The girl by the bed shrieked and jumped away, dropping the stack of things to the floor. The older woman hurried across the room after having shrieked herself, but recovered faster than the young girl. "You gave us quite a fright Miss Charlotte. Let me call the doctor," the woman said as she approached the bed, but Charlotte waved her off.

"Who were you talking about? Who is being hung?" Charlotte held her hand to her swimming head. It felt as if it might roll right off her shoulders, but she felt an urgency to have her question answered. The older woman looked to the young girl still clutching her chest then back at Charlotte. "Captain Vane and his crew, Miss Charlotte," the older woman replied. She let out another shriek as Charlotte threw back the covers and swung her feet over the side.

"You can't get out of bed Miss! You've just been terribly ill!", but Charlotte didn't answer. When she put her feet on the floor the world tilted wildly and she had to close her eyes and breathe deep to keep from passing out. She didn't have time to pass out, Charles was in prison because of her and she had to fix it. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte stood up from the bed. The world still spun, but not as bad as it had at first and Charlotte was able to take a few stumbling steps toward the dresser. She had seen her pistol and sword on top and knew she would need it when she got to the prison.

The old woman was still blustering that Charlotte needed to return to bed and the young girl still clutching her chest in shock when Charlotte stumbled across the room clutching her pistol and sword. Charlotte had to stop in the doorway to catch her breath, but then she continued across the landing to the stairs and then clung to the railing as she all but slid down the stairway. She vaguely heard servants scrambling around her, telling her to return to her room but she didn't care. There was only one place she was going and that was to free Charles. Images of the nightmares she had endured flashed through her mind and she would not face that horror in real life, she would die first.

Flinging open the front door, Charlotte almost toppled down the front stairs but managed to right herself before sprawling in to the dirt. It was a good thing that it was early morning, otherwise the scantily clad young woman in nothing but a white nightdress and clutching a sword and pistol might have sent the town in to a frenzy. Charlotte got her bearings once she was out on the street and turned towards the center of town. Several times she had to stop and lean against a building or sit on a barrel to catch her breath, but she never stayed still for long. Her need to reach Charles an unbearable ache beneath her ribs.

The prison soon came into view and the guards outside sprang into action when they saw her approach. Charlotte could tell they were confused and embarrassed by her attire and weapons so she used that to her advantage, pushing through them and into the jail. One tried to stop her and she used her most commanding voice, "I am the Admiral's goddaughter and you will let me though." The young man faltered and Charlotte didn't give him a chance to contradict her, shoving past him she turned a corner and saw the two cells, one with Charles and the other holding Anne and Jack. The Admiral stood between the two and was in the middle of speaking, "…Miss Bonney and Mr. Rackham will be first followed by you Mr. Vane. Your crew will be hung tonight.

Charlotte trained her pistol on the back of the Admiral as she cocked the pistol though it pained her to do so, "No you will not." At this, the Admiral whipped around towards her while Charles sprung up from the floor along with Anne and Jack. "Charlotte! What on earth…" the Admiral begun, but Charlotte waved him off as she stepped down the short stairs.

"It doesn't matter. What does matter is that you unlock these cells immediately. You will not hang them," Charlotte said, as she moved around the Admiral until she was deep in to the jail with him standing by the stairs. Charlotte dared not look at Charles or Jack and Anne, instead she focused on the Admiral waiting for his answer. When he shook his head, Charlotte could see she would need better leverage.

"I cannot do that Charlotte. Put down the pistol so we can talk about this," he said as he started to approach her, but Charlotte was ready for him. In a move that had everyone reaching out for her screaming no, Charlotte swung the pistol up, pressing it in to her lower jaw in the soft spot above her neck.

"I know you think you can't, but I think you just need the right motivation. Release them, or you'll have my blood on your hands," Charlotte said, a wild quality flitting through her eyes though her voice remained stable. She heard Charles near her left ear, his voice pleading with her in a tone she had never heard, "Charlotte don't, please don't", but she couldn't afford to listen to him now. All her cards were on the table and it was now the Admirals' turn.

The Admiral considered her carefully before saying, "You wouldn't..." but Charlotte cut him off. "You have no idea of what I am capable," Charlotte ground out. The Admiral tried to be placating, "Dear, you are tired…" but Charlotte began to get angry. "Don't you dare!" She shouted and the Admiral took a step back, "You don't know me at all! So, let me tell you exactly what I can do," Charlotte's fear for Charles drove her to shock the Admiral, knowing that if he didn't agree to Charles release, they would all die shortly.

"I am capable of sailing from England to the Caribbean, of rescuing a pirate from the noose before rescuing another who fell overboard in a storm. I am capable of fending off unwanted attentions and when that wasn't enough I am capable enough to beat my attacker until he lost an eye and his will to attack me." Charlotte didn't realize it, but as she listed her capabilities her voice grew stronger and her back straighter. Charles watched her with pride on his face as she listed her accomplishments that he knew of, but anger soon clouded his features as she listed those to do with Blackbeard and Anderson.

"I am capable of helping to plan a pirate rebellion and to recruit the most notorious pirate in history to the cause. I am capable of taking down enemy ships. I am capable of withstanding more unwanted advances and then the unfair punishment of lashing after. I am capable of storming a beach and defeating the enemies around me. I am capable of surviving being sold as a hostage and then being beaten and tortured. I am capable of killing with my bare hands and I am absolutely capable of accepting my own death." She said the last part through clenched teeth, the barrel of the pistol digging in to the soft flesh.

"So tell me…father…What are you capable of?" The Admiral almost answered until he recognized what she had called him. He froze as he whispered, "Father?" Charlotte said through a tight lipped smile, "Yes, Father. I've known the truth about you and mother for years now." The Admiral looked at her steadily, "How?" Charlotte laughed a mirthless laugh, "Mother's diary. My nurse had kept it safe for me until I turned sixteen. So, now tell me father. Are you capable of watching your daughter die?"

Charlotte could see the Admiral thinking, calculating the situation and she just hoped she had played her hand right. She breathed a sigh of relief when he said, "They are free to go," but caught her breath when he continued, "But you stay here." Charlotte froze, her mind scrambling to find a way out, but the Admiral continued, "That is my only offer Charlotte. Take it or leave it, but you and I have some things to work out."

Charlotte turned the situation over and over, finally nodding her head slowly, "Captain Vane and his entire crew and ship are free to go with no pursuit," she turned to look Charles in the eye finally and saw him shake his head lightly, "and I stay here."

The Admiral nodded, walking towards Charles's cell, "Done." When the door swung free, Charles was by her side in an instant, taking the pistol away from her neck immediately before crushing her to his chest. "Don't do this Charlotte, we can find another way," he whispered in to her hair. Charlotte shook her head as she took a deep breath, drawing his scent in to her. She hadn't thought to ever do that again and this might be her last time. "I won't watch you die Charles. You cannot ask that of me," she almost sobbed out. "I love you and my staying here is worth the price to see you free."

Charles squeezed her tighter, starting to argue when the Admiral interrupted. "It's time for you to go Vane." Charles looked over his shoulder to see Anne and Jack waiting on the staircase then turned back to Charlotte, "I can't leave you here." Charlotte nodded, her smile tight and pained, "Yes you can and you will. Because I know you love me." The kiss Charles gave her seared her soul, marking her as forever his. Charlotte clung to him not wanting the contact to end, but all too soon he was pulling away and being led to the stairs by the Admiral.

Charlotte stood rooted to the spot on the cell floor as she watched Charles walk away. In her head, she kept repeating the phrase, "I am capable…"


	20. Decisions

AN: Hello, awesome and amazing readers! Thank you so much for your reveiws, follows, and favorites! Everyone of them means so much to me. I love knowing you are enjoying my story and it thrills me each time I get that notification in my email! Anyway, I hope that you all continue to enjoy!

/

Charles had never done anything more difficult in his life than when he turned away from Charlotte in the jail. His every instinct told him to stay and fight for her, with her, against the Admiral, but the pleading look in her eyes as she told him she couldn't watch him die made him move his feet to the exit. While he himself might be hung or shot, Charlotte would be safe as long as she was with her father and that knowledge allowed Charles to leave her there as she asked.

The Admiral followed he, Jack, and Anne out of the jail and gave orders to the captain in command that they were to be taken to their ship along with the crew and allowed to set sail. The captain sputtered his outrage before thinking better of talking back to the Lord Admiral and clamping his lips together. Spinning on his heal, the captain beckoned them to follow, but Charles paused a moment to look back at the jail.

The Admiral stepped into his view, then cleared his throat, "I don't know why I feel compelled to tell you this, but Charlotte will be safe with me. She'll have the life she deserves and anything she could ever want." Charles' eyes never left the jail, but his jaw flexed and he swallowed hard before saying, "Good. She's better off here."

Fairborne couldn't tell whether Vane was speaking to him or himself with that statement, but he was willing to bet Vane was trying to convince himself to leave. After a moment, Charles won the argument within, spinning quickly on his heel away from the jail and the only woman he had ever truly loved.

The trip to collect his crew was a silent one as was the trip to the ship. Once his crew was back on deck and the English soldiers departed, Charles began barking out orders to get them ready to sail. They were in luck and the tide was with them, if they hurried they could leave quickly. Charles was desperate to keep his mind away from Charlotte and so he threw himself in to the task, working beside his crew to ready the ship.

He felt Anne and Jack watching him as they went about their own tasks and he wanted to scream his frustrations at them. He knew they were waiting for him to explode with rage, but he wasn't going to. Instead, his plan was to work himself in to exhaustion until he could no longer stand, pass out, then wake up and do it again. When they were out at sea, he would take on any prize that happened to have the misfortune to get in his way, strip it bare, kill anyone that survived, then move on to do the same again, always avoiding looking in to the abyss that stretched out before him now that Charlotte was gone. He would live up to the ruthless reputation that he had and maybe find peace in the coming years without Charlotte. Or better yet, maybe he would die in battle tomorrow and end his misery for good.

The Walrus set sail away from South Carolina a short time later, but Charles didn't retire to the Captains' quarters. He stayed on deck all day and in to the night, working with the crew who were also silent in their tasks. Knowing they would want an explanation, he called them all to the main deck after they were sailing steadily back to Nassau well after sunset.

Charles stood on the stairs, leaning against the railing so that he could see all his crew. Anne and Jack stood close, but were turned to look at him as they waited to hear what he had to say. "Charlotte bargained her freedom for ours," Charles began, his hands on his hips, feet spread wide in a commanding stance, his voice low but carrying across the deck to everyone. "When we return to Nassau, I plan to repair the Ranger, then return to taking as many ships as I can find," approval rumbled through the men, but Charles continued. "There will be no quarter given. We'll strip them bare and take only those men we need to replace our own. Charlotte gave us one last chance to be who we are. I mean to take the chance to make history," a roar of approval rose up from every last man on the deck, all supporting their Captains' plan. They had been focused on other things for too long and they relished the idea of returning to their true calling.

Charles dismissed the crew once they quieted and turned towards the Captain's cabin. His body was exhausted, but more than that was his spirit and his mind. His speech to the crew was rousing and while he meant every word, he could not find the passion to back it just yet. Charles knew it would come, but in the meantime he was weary, more so than he ever had been. When he had seen Charlotte press the pistol into her neck, years of his life had fled out the window. There was no doubt in his mind that she would have followed through on her threat and that thought withered his very soul.

He hadn't known Charlotte knew about her real father, but it didn't shock him that much that she did. What he didn't understand was the anger that was quite real. He had seen her shake with rage as she had told the Admiral she knew and he had feared she would squeeze the trigger by accident. Charles closed his eyes at the terrifying thought and took a deep breath to cleanse the image from his mind.

Opening his eyes again, Charles looked around the cabin and thought about how different he had thought this moment would be a few days ago. He had planned on returning with Charlotte here and beginning to replace every bad memory she had of being kidnapped, with one of his mouth and hands on her. Charles moved away from the door and walked towards the bed. Leaning against the side, he stripped off his boots and shirt leaving only his pants and climbed in to the bed.

Laying on his back, looking up at the ceiling he remembered the feel of her mouth as he had kissed her that final time. He had put his heart and soul in to that kiss, something he had never done, laying himself bare before her and showing her just how much she meant to him. Tears began leaking down the sides of his face as he let the knowledge that he truly would never see her again sink in. In all his life, he had never cried, not even as a boy being held captive, but he could not stop the tears now no matter how hard he clenched his jaw or swiped at his eyes. The moisture still kept coming until it threatened to drown him. His cheeks were still wet when he fell into an exhausted sleep filled with dreams of Charlotte.

/

Charlotte couldn't believe that she was watching Charles walk away for the last time. It was just a few short months ago that she had first seen him and now, just as they could be their happiest, it was all taken away. When the Admiral walked back in to the jail he stood on the steps facing her, but did not move any closer. "Charlotte, you need to get back to bed. The wounds you've suffered…" Fairborne began, but Charlotte cut him off. "The wounds I've suffered? Do you even have any idea of what I've endured?" she ground out through clenched teeth. When he started to answer she waved him silent before continuing, "I don't mean at the hands of Teach or Anderson. I mean back when I was a defenseless child. Back when I pleaded with you to take me with you."

Fairborne clenched his own jaw, "Vane told me you had suffered at the hands of your stepfather…" Charlotte cut him off again, years of hurt and rejection swamping her in her weakened state. "Charles only knows of one occurrence," the fear she had felt as a child threatening to strangle off her words. "Charles only saw the scars from the time he took riding crop to my back when I was ten," Charlotte saw the Admiral flinch and she took a small amount of satisfaction. She loved her true father, she really did, but over the years she had begged him to take her away to live with him and he had patted her head, laughing, telling her she was better off with that monster.

"He lost his temper that time and forgot his own rule about never leaving a visible mark," she shuddered at the memory before continuing. "All the other times he just left bruises that could be explained away as just childhood injuries, especially since I liked to play down at the docks."

Fairborne took a step forward, horror in his eyes, "I didn't know. Christ Charlotte, I didn't know! Why didn't you tell me?"

Tears formed in Charlotte's eyes, "I wanted you to want me, for me. Nobody did. Nobody could save me. I only found relief through Angus and his sons who let me stay with them as often as possible, but even they could not protect me from him." Charlotte swayed on her feet, the pistol slipping from her hand to clatter on the wooden floor. The Admiral reached her just in time to keep her from going the way of the pistol. Scooping her up in his arms he looked down at the daughter he had failed, "I'm so sorry Charlotte. So very sorry. Your mother made me promise to give you the life she thought you deserved, filled with dresses and parties and a future with a husband and children."

Charlotte watched her fathers' face as he carried her quickly back to the house and knew that he meant what he said. If she had only told him what was truly happening he would have saved her. Despite him leaving her with the Duke, Charlotte had always known he loved her and so she forgave him, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you what was happening to me. I know now that you would have stopped it had you known, but I never wanted any of those things that society provided. All I wanted was to be loved and cared for."

Fairborne clutched her tighter to his chest as he ascended the stairs and called for the doctor. Servants went scrambling before and behind him as he entered the room she had been convalescing in, lowering her to the bed. Charlotte was deathly pale and her skin was hot to the touch once more, but her eyes were clear when he knelt next to her. "I do love you Charlotte and from now on you will be cared for. Anything that you want. I'll do everything I can to make up to you all those years we lost."

Charlotte smiled slightly as she began to lose consciousness, the exertion of her trip taking its toll, "I just want…love," she whispered, closing her eyes.

/

 _Six Months Later_

Charlotte rose from her bed and smiled at the rising sun. Spring was such a beautiful time of the year in South Carolina and Charlotte found herself inhaling a deep breath to smell the perfume of the freshly blooming flowers. During her time recovering, she had gotten to know her real father very well and she cherished the time she had spent with him here.

She had shared her happier stories with him, mostly about Angus, Ian, and Douglas, and her nursemaid Sarah, while the Admiral had told her all about her mother. Charlotte had never felt more content on land, but despite this, her soul still ached for Charles. She had woken herself too many times to count, calling out his name in the dead of night. He called out to her in her sleep and during the day she would dream of their time together and mourn the times they were told herself to be patient, that she needed time to heal and time to convince her father to let her go once more, but after six months she was restless.

As much as she loved getting to know her father, she was in love with Charles and being separated from him was worse than any lashing, beating, or torture could be. She hoped that he was alright and that he wasn't pining for her. As soon as she thought of Charles pining she let out a burst of laughter, startling the maid who had come in to help her dress. The idea that Charles would pine away like some besotted child was beyond laughable, but then she thought of him moving on, most likely at the brothel and the laughter died in her throat.

Shaking her head before such thoughts could ruin her day, Charlotte let the maid dress her in a simple day dress. The poor maid had almost fainted the first time she had helped her, not knowing how bad the scarring was on her back. Charlotte looked over the puckered lines of pink flesh that crisscrossed her back and a swell of pride glinted in her eyes. Yes, the things were horrible, but they were physical proof that she was a survivor and there was no shame in that.

Finally dressed, Charlotte made her way to the dining room where the Admiral was already reading over the first correspondence of the day. Walking up behind him, she hugged him around his neck as she had begun doing over the past few months then took the coffee cup from the servant who appeared and sat down on the Admirals' right side.

As Fairborne kept reading his letters, Charlotte dug in to the plate of food before her and thought once again of Charles. She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing, wishing she were by his side. So lost in her own thoughts, Charlotte didn't notice the Admiral studying her from over his letter. He had gotten to know his daughter fairly well in their short time together so when she continued to stare out the window towards the sea, sighing from time to time, he knew she was thinking of that pirate.

Fairborne had been arguing with himself for weeks now about how to handle this very situation. His daughter loved the sea as much as he did himself and he could not fault her for that, but she loved a pirate. Someone who was his sworn enemy as an agent of the Crown, and despite her never having said so, Fairborne knew she wanted to return to that enemy. His fatherly instincts screamed at him to shut down her fantasies of living on the high seas where she had every chance of dying a horrific death, but his guilt at having not listened to her as a child fought back, challenging him on his thinking he knew best.

He had made a critically wrong decision about her future before, what made him think he wouldn't do it again? Fairborne sat absorbed in his own thoughts until a servant returned to freshen his coffee. Startled out of his inner argument, he saw Charlotte still absorbed in her daydream and a slight smile turning up the corners of her mouth. She looked just like her mother in that moment and he knew he would deny her nothing anymore.

Setting down his papers and picking up his coffee cup startled Charlotte out of her thoughts and she smiled brightly at him, a blush creeping up her cheeks when she realized he was watching her. Picking up her own cup she said, "I'm sorry, Father. I don't know where I was just now." Fairborne let the comment slide, returning her smile, "Not to worry, my dear. I was just wondering if you would like to go for a ride this morning. There is something that I would like to discuss with you."

Charlotte nodded eagerly, "That sounds wonderful. I haven't been riding in ages."

"Excellent," Fairborne replied, nodding to a footman to let the groomsman know their horses needed to be readied. "Change in to a riding habit and we will set out at once," he told her before draining his cup. Charlotte hurried from the room, not wanting to waste a moment, the day was beautiful and she truly missed riding.

Fifteen minutes later, Charlotte was mounted on the back of a sorrel mare with a high spirit. The horse pranced beside the larger stallion her father rode, eager to be let loose to run. Charlotte felt the energy too, needing to feel the wind in her face as she hadn't done since she last sailed with Charles. Charlotte shook her head as Charles pooped back in to her mind. She focused instead on her father, "You said you have something to speak to me about?"

Fairborne took the path down to the docks and Charlotte took her first real breath of the salty sea in half a year. The Admiral watched her face light up and his resolve was settled even if he hated the decision. "Charlotte…" he began, but stopped when she turned her face to him. The smile she wore was blinding and for a moment he thought he was watching her mother again. "Yes?" Charlotte asked him, pulling him out of his memory.

Fairborne shook his head and smiled sadly, "I'm going to miss you," he whispered. Charlotte looked at him, puzzled, but he continued before he could change his mind. "Your mother left you a sum before she died. It was set aside so that you could only access it once you were married, but I can override that stipulation." Charlotte scrunched her eyebrows together, "Why are you telling me this?"

He took a deep breath then plunged on, "Go back to him Charlotte. Buy a ship. Hire your own Captain or hell, sail the ship yourself, but be happy." Charlotte gripped the reins to the horse too tightly and the mare pranced backwards in protest, but Charlotte was too stunned to move except to loosen her grip. When the mare quieted Charlotte whispered, "I don't understand…" Fairborne leveled his eyes at her, "If you truly love him and think he is worthy of you, go back to him. I wouldn't trade my days with your mother for anything in this world. She and you made me the happiest I've ever been. I want that for you and if the only way for you to have that is with him then go."

For a moment, Charlotte forgot how to breathe, but then she flung herself from her saddle into her fathers' arms, burying her face in his chest, "Thank you. A thousand times, thank you." The Admiral stroked her hair with one hand as a tear streaked down his cheek.

/

 _Two Weeks Later_

The door to the bar room broke off its hinges as the large man crashed through it out in to the muddy street. He didn't have time to get to his feet before he was being hauled up by his shirt and punched in the face once more. The crowd that poured out of the broken doorway was a mix of cheering and silence. While some were comfortable with a woman being able to fight like a man, others were not. The ones that were, were exactly the type of men Charlotte had come here to find.

She had been recruiting all over town since her father had given her his blessing to return to Nassau and this was her last stop before setting sail in the morning. It was a seedier part of town but she only needed a few more men, the man in front of her might do once he regained consciousness so she turned back to the hovering crowd and asked, "Now gentlemen, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…" She cut her eyes across the crowd, daring another to attempt what the broken man behind her had, "I'm looking for a few good men to fill my crew."

Elation welled up in her as several stepped forward. She was going back to Nassau, but more importantly she was going back to Charles.


	21. Reunion

AN: Merry Christmas! I hope that you are all having a wonderful holiday! This is my little gift to you, the conclusion of the story! I am considering writing an epilogue however, so maybe around the new year…. In the meantime, please enjoy the finale and have a wonderful Christmas!

/

Charlotte stood at the helm of the Devil's Mermaid, her face turned up towards the bright sunshine of the Caribbean, the wind blowing her hair back away from her face. Taking a deep breath of the salty sea air, she smiled to herself letting the joy of being back on the ocean wash through her. Two weeks ago, she had been gathering her crew and purchasing the ship she was currently guiding through the crystal blue water. Now, she was half way back to Nassau and Charles.

The crew that she had gathered had been a little difficult at first, but after the one fight in the tavern and then one more on deck before they set sail, the rest of them had fallen in line underneath their female captain. The first mate, Seth, was an older man who oddly enough had been an acquaintance of her father. This made him a valuable ally and Charlotte suspected the main reason the crew was behaving so well. Although, she knew that it also had a little to do with how well she was paying them.

To ensure loyalty, Charlotte had paid the crew an advance including the promise that the first ship they took would be split entirely amongst the crew. Between this and the fights she had won, Charlotte's crew worked diligently and with little incident. As she gathered her crew, Charlotte had taken what time she had left to study up on how to captain a ship. Her father had been instrumental in this training and had answered any questions that she had.

Charlotte had been a little sad at saying goodbye to the Admiral, but she knew that her heart belonged to Charles and that she would never be truly happy without him. So, she had studied, recruited, and planned until she was ready to set sail for her true home.

They had not seen any potential prizes on the voyage so far and Charlotte hoped that they would come across one soon. Although taking a ship would slow them down, the crew needed to know that she would hold true to her word. At sunset that day, a Spanish merchant sailed in to their path and Charlotte gave the order to take the ship. She felt a thrill at being the one to order such an action and easily fell into the role of pirate captain. The merchant was roughly the same size as the Devil's Mermaid and put up a bit of a fight, but Charlotte's crew, though new to her, were seasoned sailors who followed her every order as if they had been doing it for years and soon captured their prize.

Once the enemy was secured either by death, a place on the ship as one of her crew, or tied up, Charlotte began instructing her men on what to salvage before they put the ship to the torch. The merchant had been heavily laden and it took a few hours to haul everything from it over to the Mermaid. It was dark by the time the cargo was secure in her hold, but the crew was pleased with the prize.

Over the rest of the voyage, Charlotte took two more merchants of equal size filling the hold to bursting. She couldn't believe her good luck on her first trip as captain and her excitement grew as the drew nearer to Nassau. She alternated between joy and terror at the thought of seeing Charles again. Joy because she knew that she loved him without a doubt and terror because she feared he might have moved on. It had been almost a year since she had forced him to leave her behind to save himself and she knew she wouldn't blame him if he had found someone else, although the thought was almost soul crushing in its pain.

After three weeks, Nassau came in to view as the sun began rising on Charlotte. Her heart sped to an almost painful pace and Charlotte could not get the treacherous organ to behave. Her eyes searched each ship at harbor, desperately seeking the familiar outline of the Ranger, but to her disappointment it was not there. She let out a shuddering breath trying to calm her nerves. She would just have to go ashore and find someone she knew to ask for information about Charles. Surely, he was here and just currently out capturing ships.

She gave the order to weigh anchor and to begin hauling their cargo ashore. Charlotte would go first to make contact with the harbor master to see where they could take the goods once they were unloaded while Seth stayed on deck to supervise. Charlotte wrung her hands nervously as two of her sailors rowed her to shore. She could not stop the anxious thoughts running through her head and hoped to see someone familiar on the beach.

Her luck held as the first face she spotted was Billy. As she stepped out of the boat onto the beach she called out to him, speeding up her pace, "Billy!" He turned at the sound of his name then stared at her in stunned silence until she flung her arms around him, laughing. She felt him return her embrace then push her back to look at her, "I can't believe you are here! Jack said you weren't ever coming back."

Charlotte smiled, "It didn't look like I would, but I could never give all this up!" Billy grinned back down at her, "I'm glad. Silver and Flint will be glad you're back as well." Charlotte nodded, "I'll speak to them as soon as I get my ship unloaded, but Billy, can you tell me where Charles is? I don't see the Ranger in the harbor." Billy shook his head, "He's never here long. Since he came back from South Carolina without you, his crew keeps a deadly pace." Billy's eyes darkened, "They were always ruthless, but they've taken it to another level. No one is given quarter and nothing is ever left after he takes a prize. His crew only stays ashore long enough to spend the gold they earn on whores or drink and then they are gone again. Vane never steps foot off his ship."

Billy said the last part as he looked in to Charlotte's eyes, conveying to her he knew how much her absence had affected Vane. Charlotte swallowed hard, her heart aching for Charles, "Can you have someone let me know the minute the Ranger is spotted?" Billy nodded, "Of course, where are you staying?" Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know where anything is so I'll need to find lodgings and a place to sell my cargo." Billy's eyes widened at the mention of cargo, proving he hadn't heard her the first time, "You have cargo?"

Charlotte beamed up at him, "I'm Captain Kings of the Devil's Mermaid, and yes, I have a hold full of cargo from three merchants that needs to be sold." Billy chuckled, "I never doubted you'd be a successful pirate. Come on, follow me and I will show you where to send your cargo and where you can sleep." Charlotte followed Billy down the beach to a building not far from the harbor. There she informed the man of the goods she needed to sell and arranged for payment upon receipt. Once done, she instructed the sailors who had come with her to row back to the ship and inform Seth. When they were gone, she followed Billy to the tavern which had rooms available for rent.

The bar below was busy with pirates, as were the streets outside. Nassau was not only surviving, but thriving under the new leadership of Silver, Madi, and Flint. Charlotte was pleased to see such success after so terrible a battle. Nothing remained of the damage that had been inflicted on the town. New buildings had sprung up everywhere and the town was flourishing. Before securing a room, Charlotte and Billy sat down in the tavern to share a drink and to catch up on all that had happened in the past year. Charlotte explained everything that had happened to her in South Carolina and Billy talked of the difficulties the pirates had encountered while rebuilding their home.

Shipping had been a major concern as they no longer had the Guthrie's name for safety, but Silver and Madi had worked out a system that had thus far been working flawlessly. "They are a wonder together," Billy marveled, "The things that they work out and problems they solve… I'm just glad they are running the island now." Charlotte nodded as she took a deep drink of her rum, the alcohol flooding her system, allowing her to relax more than she had in a year. "Silver always struck me as intelligent as well as Madi. I can see them both being successful leaders," she said relaxing back in to the chair.

Billy nodded, "They have been good for the island." They spoke for a few more hours before Charlotte got to her feet, "I should check on my men and see how the unloading is going. Once they are done, they will want their payments and orders." Billy stood with her, "I'd go with you, but I have my own duties to see to. If you want, I'll meet you back here in a few hours and we can have dinner." Charlotte smiled, "I'd like that, Billy. I'll see you tonight." Charlotte walked out on to the busy street, making her way back to the building where her cargo was being unloaded.

When she arrived, the last of the cargo was being brought in and she made her way to the clerk in charge of tallying up her total. "You've quite a large haul, Captain Kings. You can collect your payment in the office." Thanking the clerk, she motioned for Seth, who had come ashore with the last of the cargo, to follow her to the office. The payment was larger than she had imagined and as the coins were counted out, Charlotte had to keep her mouth from dropping. Accepting the heavy bags with a nod, Charlotte strode out of the building richer than she had ever thought possible. Even with paying the crew, the profits were sizeable.

She handed most of the coins over to Seth, "Take this to the crew and tell them they have two weeks here on shore. After that I will update them on our plans." Seth nodded as he accepted the money, "What are we staying on shore for so long, if I might ask Cap'n?" Charlotte considered the man before saying, "We are awaiting the Ranger and her Captain. I intend to ask him if we might join forces."

Seth shook his head, "But we've done well enough on our own. Not to mention the Captain of the Ranger has been said to be quite mad, not to mention vicious. Why would you…" But Charlotte cut the man off, "You will cease repeating those rumors immediately Mr. O'Malley. While Captain Vane is vicious, ruthless, and merciless, he is not nor has he ever been, mad. I'll be staying at the tavern should you or the crew need anything. Otherwise, I will see you in two weeks."

When the first mate nodded to her, Charlotte left him to return to the tavern. It was only mid-afternoon so she purchased her room for two weeks then went to the room to sleep. Her anticipation at seeing Charles today was wearing thin, and the sleep deprived night she had was beginning to catch up to her. Knowing she had a few hours before she would meet Billy, she lay down on the bed to take a nap.

/

Later that evening, refreshed from her sleep, Charlotte made her way down to the tavern that was somehow busier than before. The sun had set a few hours ago, and luckily Billy had already grabbed a table in the far corner of the room. Charlotte pushed her way through the loud sailors, slapping roaming hands away as she went. When she finally made it through the press of bodies she sighed with relief as she landed in her chair.

Billy laughed good naturedly at her and Charlotte smiled back, "It's a bit mad in here tonight, but there's nowhere better for a meal," Billy shouted to her, though he sat right next to her. Charlotte nodded, replying, "It's alright, I'm still tired though I slept the afternoon away so it's nice to be close to my room." The rest of the meal was spent in relative silence as neither wanted to shout to be heard. After an hour of the deafening noise, Charlotte told Billy she would go back to her room. Billy nodded and told her, "I've told people to let you know as soon as the Ranger is spotted."

Charlotte smiled, shouting back her thanks. Billy stayed below until Charlotte opened her door then waved at him. He knew she could defend herself, but it never hurt to be cautious. Billy and Charlotte fell in to the pattern of taking dinner together every night and soon the two weeks had passed with no sight of the Ranger.

Knowing her crew was beginning to grow antsy at the lack of activity, Charlotte found Seth the next day and ordered him to round up the crew so that they might set sail to take another prize. She hoped that she could capture another ship and return before she missed Charles. As she stood on the beach ordering supplies for her trip, a boy came running up to her across the sand.

"It's here, Captain! It's here!" he exclaimed as he came to a halt in front of her. Charlotte looked to where he was pointing and could just make out a ship sailing towards the beach. Even at this distance, Charlotte knew it was the Ranger just as the boy had said. She had pictured it thousands of times in the past year and there was no mistaking it for another. Her heart hammered in her chest and she took a deep breath trying to steady her nerves. Somehow, she managed to finish her order, then walked to find her first mate.

When she found him a short while later she told him of the arrival and asked him if he knew what to do. "Yes Cap'n. I'm to row out to the ship and ask the Cap'n if he'd like to join us," the man said although he looked green around the gills. "Yes, and the Captain will say no at first but you keep asking until he asks to see me," Charlotte said, gripping the man by the shoulders. He bobbed his head, "Yes, Cap'n."

Charlotte hoped she wasn't asking too much of her first mate. She could tell the man was nervous and with good reason. She hoped Charles wasn't quick to kill her emissary before she could make it to his ship. It was several hours before the Ranger dropped its anchor and she watched Jack and Anne come to shore with the first of their cargo. Charlotte felt a little bad about hiding from her friends, but she really wanted to see Charles before anyone else.

She watched as Seth approached Jack and Anne with his request to see Captain Vane and saw their skeptical looks. She knew they would accept, if for no other reason than curiosity and she was rewarded a short time later as the three rowed back out to the Ranger. Charlotte had originally planned to wait on the beach, but as Seth began climbing on board, she couldn't wait anymore. She walked to her own dingy where two of her own sailors sat waiting for supplies and told them to row her out to the Ranger. Butterflies the size of sparrows did summersaults in her stomach as she grew closer to her destination. She would see Charles in just a few short moments.

/

Charles sat behind his desk, his feet propped up on the corner of his desk and a drink in his hand. More than a drink really, an entire bottle. Which had been full this morning, but was now on its way to half empty, and he still wasn't drunk. These days it was taking more and more liquor to get him properly drunk and the pile of bottles in the corner from just this trip were proof. He expected a quiet day as his crew should be busy unloading cargo, so the knock on his door had him scowling.

"What!?" he barked at the offending noise. The door swung in admitting Jack, Anne, and a third person Charles didn't recognize. "Who the fuck is this and what do you want?" Charles ground out as he planted his feet firmly on the floor. The man looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else but where he was, but Charles saw him inhale a deep breath to answer. Before he could, Jack spoke up, "This man is O'Malley, first mate of the Devil's Mermaid a new ship to Nassau. Has a question for you, we thought you might find interesting."

At this, Jack motioned the man forward and he began what Charles suspected was a rehearsed speech. "My Captain is new to the profession and has heard of your ruthless reputation. Captain Kings requests that we join forces so to speak, so that we can each benefit from the other." Charles considered the man during his speech and marveled that anyone would be stupid enough to request his assistance. The new captain must be an absolute idiot to know Charles' reputation and still send his first mate to him. Charles scoffed at the man, "What the fuck would I need you for? If your Captain knows my reputation, he should know I have no use for anyone else. Now I suggest you get the fuck off my ship before I gut you."

The man paled visibly, but remarkably spoke again, "Begging your pardon Captain Vane, but my Captain said you'd refuse at first, but insists we'll work well together. We brought in cargo from three separate merchants on our first voyage." The man shook under Vane's glare, but soldiered on, "My Captain said if you'd speak directly, you could work something out." Vane clinched his jaw, fighting his instincts to run the man through, but his curiosity was also pricked. Whoever this new Captain was, was remarkably stupid and brave. A combination Vane couldn't help but wonder who it belonged to.

Leaning back in his chair, he glanced at Jack and Anne who flanked the man, before looking back to the first mate, "Where is your Captain now?" The man seemed to relax a fraction, indicating to Vane that he expected his answer. Now Vane knew he had to meet the Captain that had guessed his reactions correctly. "Waiting on the beach for a signal from me," the man replied. Charles raised an eyebrow at the man when he continued to stand there, "Well?" The man stood frozen until Charles barked out, "Send your signal!"

That sent the man scurrying out the door. Jack and Anne stood waiting on Charles as he stood from his chair. "This should be interesting," he said as he passed them on his way out the door. They fell into step behind him as Jack said, "I can only imagine." They walked out on to the deck just as the first mate came skidding to a stop at the side of the ship where he needed to climb down.

Someone was climbing up on to the deck, but Charles didn't recognize them and only figured it out when he heard the first mate exclaim, "Cap'n!" So, this was the man with a death wish. Not only to send his first mate to Vane, but to dare to come himself without invite.

Charles began to stride down the deck as he drew his sword from his side. He had no intentions of using it, at least not yet, but the imbecile had to be taught a little fear. Charles was halfway down the staircase when the Captain took off their hat letting loose a very familiar waterfall of chestnut waves.

Charles' steps faltered then halted all together when bright green eyes locked on to his blue. He vaguely heard Anne and Jack shout, and his sword clatter to the deck as he stood staring at what had to be an apparition. She couldn't be here. She just couldn't, and as many times as he had seen her on this deck in the past year, he couldn't make himself believe that this time it was real. Until she said his name.

/

The boat ride to the Ranger was the longest trip she had ever made, Charlotte was positive. It seemed as if an eternity passed before the little boat bumped up against the ladder and she was climbing back on to a ship that held her destiny. She was shocked to find her first mate at the side of the ship as she crawled over and he began jabbering in her ear. She only heard the words Captain Vane as Seth pointed over her shoulder and then she was swinging around to face the man she had crossed an ocean for.

He was striding to her with his sword drawn, but Charlotte wasn't frightened. As she removed her hat, she watched his steps slow until they stopped completely, not five feet from where she stood. She inhaled deeply, willing herself to be patient as his blue gaze took her in from head to toe. When she saw the disbelief in his eyes she called out to him, willing him to believe she was here. "Charles…" it came out in a whisper, emotion choking her voice, but she took a step towards him without realizing it, pulled to him by the same invisible thread that had hooked her from the first day.

/

Charles didn't know how he made it to her side, couldn't recall his feet moving, but suddenly Charlotte was inches away, her face turned up to his in expectation. Her soft touch on his cheek, rough with his beard, jolted him back in to reality. Quick as lightening, Charles reached out, crushing Charlotte against him. She clung to him as his mouth plundered hers, responding just how he remembered.

Picking her up by the waist, she took his hint and wrapped her legs around him without breaking their kiss. Charles only took his mouth from hers long enough to climb the stairs, but Charlotte used the opportunity to kiss her way down the side of his neck and across his cheek before her mouth found his as he opened the door to his quarters. They had left a deck full of people speechless, but Charles knew Jack would figure everything out and he really didn't care about anything or anyone besides Charlotte right now.

They made it to the bed, Charles laying her down and breaking their kiss only to trail his lips down her neck to the open v of her shirt. Charlotte sunk her hands in to his hair urging him to hurry and Charles couldn't agree more. Gripping both sides of her shirt at the v, he split the garment in half with one might tug. Her pants soon followed so that she was left in only her boots as he hadn't allowed her time to take them off.

Charlotte had been busy as well and Charles soon found himself shirtless as her hands roamed his torso. Unable and unwilling to wait even a second more to be inside her, Charles barely unbuttoned his pants before he was sliding in to her heat. As he seated himself as deep as he could, his eyes locked with hers once more and he breathed, "You're really here aren't you?"

Charlotte smiled up at him, "Yes, Charles. I couldn't live without you."

Charles answered her by pulling back then thrusting deep again. He buried his head next to her ear as he whispered, "Good." Charlotte would have laughed at his reply had he not taken the opportunity to increase his pace. Their lovemaking was fast, neither willing to slow the pace, eager to reach their pleasure in the other's arms.

Hours later, when all their clothing had come off, and they lay limp, sweaty, and exhausted against each other did Charles speak, "How is it that you're here Charlotte?" Her head lay on his shoulder, her naked leg thrown over his own and her hand drawing lazy circles on his chest. He felt her smile in to his shoulder and he squeezed her tighter against his side as she told him about the Admiral and the account her mother had set aside in her name. She told him about buying her ship and recruiting her crew and her voyage back to Nassau.

Charles listened intently, silently marveling at her tenacity, and thanking whatever god would listen that she was here. As she finished her story, he stroked his hand down her arm and across her back, reminding him of another story he wanted her to tell. He continued to trace the raised pattern on her otherwise soft back as he asked, "Who did this?" He could tell Charlotte was less inclined to repeat this story so he pulled her on top of him so that they were nose to nose. Her bright green eyes stared back at him so that he felt her gaze all the way to his soul. His hands continued their path across her back as he urged her again, "Tell me Charlotte."

He watched as she bit her lower lip, clearly concerned about telling him and he vowed to himself that he would remain calm. "The lashes on my back were Teach," she paused here as Charles' hands tightened on her hips. "Everything else is Anderson," she continued as Vane's hands moved once more, taking in every scar. Charles reply rumbled up from his chest in a growl, "Teach is dead." To Charlotte this wasn't a surprise as Billy had told her what had happened the night she was sold, so she stroked Charles' face as she replied, "Thank you."

Charles didn't acknowledge the comment, instead he flipped her on to her back kissing her deeply. When they came up for air, he slid in to her waiting core as he whispered against her mouth, "You said something about a partnership, Captain Kings?" Charlotte smiled in to his kiss, his lips crushing against hers as he began to move within her. She couldn't get enough of him, probably never would she thought as she matched his thrusts. "I did, Captain Vane," she managed to get out between pants. Vane was quite capable of making her see stars despite their hours of pleasure already and she could feel the climax building deep within her as his pace took on a stronger rhythm.

Charles thrust his hand into her hair, tugging forcefully until her neck was arched back exposing her to him, where their eyes would remain locked as he increased his pace even more, until he was slamming in to her. Charlotte came undone around him as he growled in to her ear, "On this ship. I only accept the deal if you remain with me." Charles couldn't stop his own release as Charlotte screamed her answer, "Always, Charles!"


End file.
